HUBBALI: Until final Thursday, Paul Garwood had by no means heard of Hubballi. When he found it was a possible venue for the Ranji Trophy closing, the London-based banker looked for the city, studied its geography, utilized for an Indian visa and booked his ticket.At a time when curiosity in domestic cricket usually takes a again seat, the Englishman’s resolution to fly throughout continents to look at a Ranji closing stands out — notably with the ICC T20 World Cup underway.
As Paul landed in the north Karnataka metropolis and ready to look at his first domestic match in India, he was brimming with quiet pleasure.“I’m a cricket and an Indian nut from the south of England,” mentioned Paul, who hails from Suffolk. “I started coming to India three or four years ago and watched matches in Indore and Dharamshala. And here I am in Hubballi to watch the Ranji Trophy final, which I’m very much looking forward to.”A confessed connoisseur of Indian delicacies — with a selected fondness for south Indian fare — Paul sees his journeys as a mix of cricket and tradition.On selecting the Ranji closing over the T20 World Cup, he mentioned. “I’d love to have seen the World Cup. However, I couldn’t make the dates work. And honestly, I’d rather watch three or four days of solid cricket rather than a match that lasts 40 overs.”A club-level spinner who seems for Mistley Cricket Club again dwelling, Paul has adopted India’s premier domestic competitors over the previous few weeks.“I’d positioned myself to be away from work and potentially watch the World Cup, and it didn’t work out. So I googled Ranji Trophy fixtures and saw that this week was the final. I was probably the only person in England following the Ranji Trophy semifinals,” he mentioned with amusing.With the Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir groups in the closing, Paul waited to be taught the host metropolis.“When I saw the two finalists were Karnataka and Jammu & Kashmir, I didn’t know where either would have their base. I thought it could be Bengaluru,” he admitted. “And when I saw Hubballi, I thought it sounded like something out of a Willy Wonka film. Then I thought, “I’ve never been this far south in India — it could be fun.”For Paul, the draw is not a particular team but the cricket itself.“I just want to see a few good days of competitive cricket,” said Paul, who has been raised on a steady diet of Indian greats with Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath being among his favourites.
Paul Garwood with Rohit Sharma
Garwood’s journey is a reminder that the Love for the red cherry still travels far, in his case London to Hubballi.
