The phone rang off the hook in Ajit Agarkar’s flat at Dadar, near Shivaji Park. Nobody answered. The watchman confirms it. ‘‘Par madam toh nahin hai na. Kahan gayi pata nahin.’’ (Madam’s not in. No idea where she’s gone). At the Mumbai bowler’s parents’ home nearby, the celebrations for Agarkar’s six-wicket haul on Monday are muted—mother Meena blushes with pride, but chooses to play modest. ‘‘I really don’t know what to say. Why don’t call you later, when Ajit’s father returns from work?’’ she says. Celebrations have been reserved for later, ‘‘when we win the series’’. Agarkar’s wife Fatima being away at her parents’ home, it was just the father and mother watching the team’s jubilations on television. ‘‘But there’s more to come, we must wait,’’ says Meena. Thanksgiving prayers? ‘‘Not really. Ajit usually visits the Hanuman temple near Shivaji Park, but we didn’t visit today.’’ Shivaji Park: Dravid upstages Sachin For once, it wasn’t Sachin Tendulkar’s praises being sung at this mecca of cricket. School students, trainees at various coaching academies including those at Ramakant Achrekar’s academy sported smiles and gave one another the high-fives once the winning shot was played. ‘‘Rahul Dravid was rock solid. Had he not stayed at the wicket, we could have lost,’’ said one. What about Agarkar? ‘‘Amcha Shivaji Park cha aahe na (He belongs to Shivaji Park),’’ said Nilesh Patwardhan, who was practising near Bengal Club. ‘‘Agarkar has always been a good performer, but Dravid stood out. He batted like Don Bradman!’’ he exclaimed. The elders sitting on the ground’s short boundary wall were effusive in their praise too. ‘‘The whole team deserves credit. Let’s stop talking only about Tendulkar,’’ advised septugenarian Abhijit Gokhale. — Reporting by Vinay Nayudu
