Cricket at Tinni’s and Rendezvous at the Road.

Tinni’s school (pronounced as Tin-Nee) is a small, government educational institution located in the heart of Gandhi Bazaar/ Basavangudi. Under the aegis of the Lions club, it caters to the poorer section, functioning as a primary/middle class co-ed school. A considerable plot of land, more like in the shape of the number 4, within its premises is left for the children to mill around and play, eat their daily lunch and go about their school/extra –curricular activities with gay abandon. Of course, Tinni’s is a nickname that has caught on and come to stay for years!

After school hours, this piece of open real estate transforms itself into a priceless spot for the teenagers and above to indulge in their sporting activities, it being just about the right
size to indulge in a quick game of cricket, lagori, marble or at times even a tennis court!
Suffice it would be to say that the turf is hallowed and carries a lot of history and nostalgia on its side, so much so that when plans got underway to dig up the place and erect more buildings in that area, it was vehemently opposed by the young and old alike and the project successfully quelled. The orchestrated mutiny that brought about this moratorium was greeted with much cheer and the junta involved in it labeled as martyrs for the Greater Common Good of the sacrosanct soil. The vitality emanating from its premises is something to cherish and thrive, a mystical miasma which encompasses all those who flock to it and I have never tired of it since I was first introduced to it almost 15 years back by the achari brothers (read as Viji and Sanji), whose grandparents(hence deceased) and uncles reside right opposite the school.

Surveyor Street starts (or ends) bang opposite the school and the “road” or the “Baandhuanavara Beedhi” as we call it has been inhabited over the years by a motley group of people, quixotic in their own way, and unfailingly lending to the charm of this idyllic street. The genesis of our present day ‘gang’ of boys was here and we are now a tightly knit coterie, numbering around 20, most often more and have long since permeated that membrane or veneer of friendliness, where short lived pleasantries are exchanged and left at that. No, for we are much, much more than that now and to a man we live off and help each other and socialize as a group. Yet, familiarity breeds contempt as they say and the odd sparks do fly, but there’s always someone with a sagacious 3rd eye who would rise above the situation and placate the ruffled feathers. Only a few actually dwell in the road and the rest of us are from other nearby places, yet we meet at evenings after work and take turns at jibing each other or the passers-by, ogling at the fairer sex, tucking into chaat or “light tiffin” at the nearby hotels and usually retire at the stroke of 9 to the clap of 1,2, 3, Dismiss… Now, now I am just kidding on the last part ;)




Cricket at Tinni’s has always been a much look-forward-to affair and many an epic battle has been fought on the turf, wherein us boys divide ourselves into two teams and start of usually a 3 match series, 6 overs a side. The talent and class on display is nothing amateurish and there are players who have represented the state and the country in cricket, the most famous of them being my best buddy Vijay Bharadwaj, who has represented India/Karnataka in cricket. Given this talent pool, the contests are doubtless competitive, enthralling, with fortunes vacillating and tend to rest on a knife’s edge.

The charged up atmosphere brings about many spats amongst the two teams, unfailingly, and in younger days and years gone by, maiming and mutilation of the body parts was always a distinct possibility. Free flowing hostility is never far away and the vitriolic, colorful lingua franca would even make sailors or Captain Haddock, him of Tintin genre, proud. For us this is the Coliseum and it can’t get bigger than that. And to say that Cricket is called a Gentleman’s Game, why now!!

In the years gone by,(I can date back to 15 years easily, but the greats have been around longer ) we used to play daily, after returning from school/college, but had to bow to the passage of time and go by the dictate of the job –oriented life, a far cry from the chepekaayi college days, where we chose to be oblivious to structure, cheated on time, never went by the clock and reveled in the razzmatazz.

Now cricket is played on Sunday Evenings and all other general/public holidays and though the average age is hovering close to, if not, touched the 30 mark, and receding hair lines and increasing waist lines are an almost natural concomitant, what the guys lack in age and ability, they more that compensate for with spirit and give it all during those 2 hours..! And yet, almost magically, notwithstanding if the last match was bitterly contested, a lull sets in after the play and off the field things take a different turn. What transpired on the field of play is left at that and everyone makes a bee-line to the nearby SLV café to gorge on almost the entire menu they have on offer. Food for thought? Or is it satiating the war mongers? No one could care less, all they go by is the KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid) rule.

Here’s to the road boys then of Tinni’s and may their tribe flourish! Halleluiah !!

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As an afterthought, henceforth, I plan to document every Sunday’s session and save it for posterity. Also do a write up on all the boys and append a few pics. Lets go live comrades !!