His nose pressed hard against the computer screen, Manvendra Singh Patwal lays his final bet. Given the Indian score of 293/7 in a series where anything below 300 means you can’t sit back and relax, the captain of the Indian Blind Cricket Team knows that victory for India at Gaddafi stadium tonight will only come at the cost of the Pakistani Skipper.Patwal won his bet.‘‘Inzamam-Ul-Haq is their rock. To win we need to get him out by the 20th over. If allowed to play beyond that, he may create a toofaan,’’ says the 25-year-old visually-challenged skipper. Unlike countless across two nations who just have to stare at the TV screen and leave the rest to their adrenaline, Patwal has had to work—and that’s where he’s having fun.With the radio held close to his ear, he switches between the voice and the image on his PC. His vision allows him to see barely up to two meters which means TV is a blur. He needs to be close, very close to a smaller image so the PC helps, but only this much.Born with perfect-vision, Patwal lost his sight when he was twelve after an accident playing football. But his sixth sense is there to see.Patwal screams out every wicket taken a split second before you can watch it on the screen. ‘‘Because there’s a slight lag in the broadcast, the radio is a much better medium. It gives you the commentary before you get to see it on television,’’ he explains.So as soon as the radio crackles with a wicket fallen or a four struck, Patwal moves closer to the blue and green haze to watch the faces of his star players.Working with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Patwal can’t wait till the 15th over. According to him, that’s the over that will decide the final outcome.But three wickets down by the 10th, Patwal still craves for the skipper’s wicket. His hope for India soars as Irfan Pathan appeals for an Lbw. His mother’s tea cup stops midway to her lips, Patwal watches in disbelief but throws himself back on the chair as David Shepherd looks unconvinced.‘‘This could have been the deciding moment,’’ he says as his mobile phone starts ringing. His teammates know of his fear of Haq and they tease him. He reassures them.Back from a short tour to Pakistan where they played Pakistan’s blind cricket team, he says, ‘‘We were practising at the nets one afternoon when Saqlain Mushtaq came in and began to play with us. However, none of us could see him so we did not recognise him. After half an hour of bowling to him and getting him out several times, we asked him his name. Our jaws dropped in disbelief. He said we wouldn’t have played as well if we had known.’’The Indian Blind Cricket team lost 4-1 but were happy to have played as a part of the goodwill gesture.By the 20th over, Patwal has his heels up in the air and the radio is pressed closer to his ears. He shuffles with the first ball, crinkles his nose and pushes his glasses closer to his eyes. And as if Sachin Tendulkar heard his whispers before his perfect balancing act at the ropes, the third ball of the 20th over brings in the sweet smell of victory.Almost defensive about his fear for the defeated Pakistani skipper, he says in a confident tone, ‘‘It’s cricket.’’And he can see that, clearly on this sparkling night in Lahore.
