Godzilla Sehwag

Framroz Court is an elegant art deco building on Marine Drive. On one side it faces the Arabian Sea, on the other it overlooks Brabourne Stadium.

On Thursday, there were people on the terrace of Framroz Court. They were watching the second day’s play of the third Test between India and Sri Lanka. Prashant Bhaabal, a policeman, was also there. For security reasons. Bhaabal likes cricket. But he likes a shaded corner more. So he moved his chair to one such corner, and with his rifle and lemonade (he has low blood pressure) by his side, he sat down.

To be frank, that was an understatement.

Framroz Court is an elegant art deco building on Marine Drive. On one side it faces the Arabian Sea, on the other it overlooks Brabourne Stadium.

On Thursday, there were people on the terrace of Framroz Court. They were watching the second day’s play of the third Test between India and Sri Lanka. Prashant Bhaabal, a policeman, was also there. For security reasons. Bhaabal likes cricket. But he likes a shaded corner more. So he moved his chair to one such corner, and with his rifle and lemonade (he has low blood pressure) by his side, he sat down.

To be frank, that was an understatement.

Like panicking governments in Godzilla-type movies, the Sri Lankan brainstrust employed various lieutenants to save themselves. Welegedera, Kulasekara, the left-armer Herath, Murali, Mathews. He was brutal to all. After the shot, of course, he would look harmless. Sure that the ball was headed to the fence, he would stroll to the other end with chest and stomach out and hands, as always in full sleeves, hanging by his side.

At one point the boundaries came so quick that Ravi Shastri, during a break in commentary, just shook his head and smiled. It does not happen that there is a match on in Mumbai and people forget that Sachin Tendulkar is also in the scheme of things. But that seemed to have happened this afternoon. Sehwag pushed everyone out of the frame.