Pitch-Luck Series! Poem by Naga Vamshidhar Ratakonda

'Pitch Luck', That's what I would call,
The 'SA-IND' Sun-Foil Test Series,
Just concluded Amidst Controversy!

The Pitch Gifted 'Twin Wins',
For the Hosts & a 'Solo' to Guests,
'Two To Tango' for Safaris and,
'Last Laugh' for the Prevailing,
'Numero Uno' of Test Cricket!

Appeared in my Imagined Dream's,
Curator & Grounds men Revealed,
'Pitches are Made with Patches,
For any Test in the Series to,
Last for Three or Four Days Max,
Ticket Sales Kept in Mind and,
An Experiment for Future,
To Curtail the Tests into a,
Three or Four day Match,
Test Cricket 'The Original' and,
'The Primitive' seems to have Lost,
'Its Might & Sheen'..Shame Shame!

No Wonder, The Cape Town
A Misery for Both Captains,
Offered Low Scores & Quick Wickets,
And the 'Pitch Luck' like 'Lady Luck',
Favoured the Hosts Honouring,
Philanders Firm Fist Philosophy!

Centurion, the better of Three,
Allowed the visiting captain to
Score a Century, An instant relief
For Indians to Falter before,
'Lungi Ingdi', who cast a spell,
Without wearing an Indian 'Lungi'

In the Grand Finale at Wanderers,
The Ball Wandered Everywhere,
All Over the Pitch Awkward,
Hitting Batsmen More & Wickets less,
Match Resumed after Rain &,
Pitch corrected to continue,
With the 'Fearsome Indian' Four,
Winning the Match for Visitors,
A Republic Day Gift to Celebrate!

Cricket Pundits & Legends say,
'Form is Temporary & Class is Permanent',
But with Sun Soiled by Winds & Rains,
And no Foil to protect the Pitch,
The Pitches of the Series,
Won over both Class & Form!

Technique didn't come Handy,
For the Batsmen to Stay at Crease;
Playing to Bowler's Merit,
Seldom helped them to Score Runs;
Negotiating with the Pitch,
Was the best the Strikers Could Do!

Bowlers Paradise and Batsmen's Envy,
The Ball Invisible along with Sun,
Reappears With Peels of Turf raising,
Along with the Cruising Magic Ball!
The 'Pitch Luck' Series was like a,
'Pot Luck' of Feast for 'Bowlers',
'Curator' & ' The Grounds men'!

Oh Yes! 'Pitch-Luck Series',
With 'Patches of Luck',
That's How it will go down,
In the Annals Of Test Cricket!