Bowling to Adam

Sports journalists from across the country came together last week at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Delhi for an unusual event: an encounter with seven members of the Australian team, not with dictaphones and notebooks, but with bat and ball. The Australian team's sponsors on tour, Travelex, had organized an unusual event called the Media Bowling Masterclass, with the intention of getting the players to pass on some hints and tips to the scribes, many of whom play cricket at some level.

The event was conceived like this: some of the bowlers from the Australian squad would help the members of the press - young, old, fat, slim, competent, incompetent - with their bowling, after which Adam Gilchrist and Michael Bevan would line up in adjoining nets and have a bat against them. Rod Kohler, brand manager for Travelex, explained that a similar experiment had been made in the World Cup last March, except that that had been a batting masterclass. "We got out some kit for the press, and some of our batsmen helped them out with their technique, after which Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie had a bowl at some of them. But the bowlers held nothing back - it's not their nature to do so - and some of the sports writers didn't have the most pleasant time. After that we decided that it would be more interesting to let the journalists bowl rather than bat."

The Australians brought along Brad Williams, Nathan Bracken, Andrew Bichel and Michael Kasprowicz to advise eager members of the press about their bowling. For a while there was much talk of inswingers and outswingers, seam position and head position, front leg and leading arm, while shutterbugs clicked away and cameras rolled. Of course, the Australians did some bowling themselves to illustrate points of technique, and many were blissfully happy to be running up to bowl in the wake of a Williams or a Bichel. Even Adam Gilchrist turned his arm over, bowling some beautiful curving outswingers and explaining he'd learnt it all watching his pacemen bowl.

After a brief break, Gilchrist put on his pads, as did Bevan, and the most eagerly awaited part of the event began. Bevan, batting with his dark glasses on, did not exert himself unduly, but Gilchrist, ever the sport, warmed to the task, and soon had the stadium abuzz with excitement as surely as in a real international game. Several cracking hits flew into the heavens, accompanied by cries and gasps from those watching, and kept the security guards at the edge of the arena busy retrieving balls. Those of us who took some stick also had the pleasure of seeing, from closer than ever before, evidence of the quickness of his eye and his spectacular bat-speed. As the afternoon drew on, even those who were there merely to cover the event could not resist the temptation of rolling their arm over. One portly cameraman entrusted his instrument to a colleague, scurried in, and let fly some deliveries of surprising pace.

The event was useful for many, and entertainment for all. Perhaps the only problem with it that journalists, photographers and cameramen all got in each others' way - not that they don't usually, but here they were present both as actors as well as reporters. It was not long before the run-ups were besieged with those seeking soundbites, autographs and advice on matters unrelated to the occasion. Perhaps those of us who keep emphasizing the need to play more disciplined cricket ought to take a note.

Chandrahas Choudhury is staff writer of Wisden Asia Cricket magazine.