Alex Chapman: Blackcaps’ Mumbai madness makes you laugh

There’s a sort of celebration that’s sometimes heard around club cricket grounds.

It’s a cacophony of cackles. It’s a celebration of surprise rather than just joy. It’s a reaction of shock more than anything. Something that just wasn’t supposed to happen.
And when it’s in your team’s favour - my goodness, is it glorious.

This sort of reaction is often described as “shit gets wickets”.

It’s normally when a half tracker or full toss, which should’ve been sent for six - or at least four - instead lobs or spoons down a fielder’s throat.
The wicket hasn’t been earned, it’s been served up to you. And it’s delicious.

It’s like a crisp beverage on a searing summer’s day, or a comforting curry on a cold winter’s night. Or, in this case, a curry on a 30-plus degree day in India.

Most of the time, it causes the laughter, because the fielder barely had to move. It’s utter disbelief.

Such noises were heard at around 10:30am local time inside the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.

As Ajaz Patel bowled a full toss well wide of off stump, Sarfaraz Khan dispatched it into the waiting hands of Rachin Ravindra at deep midwicket.

It was fitting that this moment of hilarity was shared between Ravindra and Patel.

Two men of Indian descent. Ravindra, who during last year’s 50-over World Cup spoke of how he grew up wanting to play at the Wankhede, and Patel, the man born in Mumbai, who took that famous, historic, perhaps never-to-be-seen again, 10-wicket haul the last time New Zealand wore whites there.

Does anyone love an opposition Test ground more?

That Safaraz dismissal signaled the halfway mark of the Blackcaps bowling out their hosts, and, very quickly, that laughter was replaced by complete quiet.

The noise, or lack thereof around the stadium, should be used by Apple or Samsung as the new silence setting on cellphones. Mumbai Mute.

Yes, the local crowd for periods, mainly when Rishabh Pant was at the crease, eventually found their voice, though, like their hope, the Blackcaps once again took it.

Then, as Patel hit the stumps to remove Washington Sundar for the final wicket and his 11th of the match, almost three hours and plenty of nerves later, there was no laughter.

Instead, there were cheers, screams, and celebrations - not just in Mumbai, but from Blackcaps fans around the world - louder than any fireworks could dream of being.

“We’re just a bunch of Kiwis taking on the world,” said player of the match Daryl Mitchell after the win. And he would know.
Mitchell took on the might of India’s bowling attack in the sweltering, at times suffocating, heat in the first innings to help New Zealand post what would be a match-winning first innings score.

You son of a Mitch.

They say if you want to win in India, you have to sweep well.

Well, Tom Latham and his bunch of merry men, got out their brooms and swept India, in India, for the first time in a three-match series.

No one has done this before.

Not the fires of Babylon who struck fear around the world. Not Poms or Proteas who held the mace. Not even the Aussies, who many questioned would ever be beaten.

Much will be said and written about how poorly India performed in this series, but we’ll save that for their own fans and analysts.

This is about the Blackcaps winning, rather than India losing.

There were fitting little moments throughout the three matches where you couldn’t help but wonder if the cricketing gods played their part, smiled on this side, nodded, and said ‘yup, this is your moment.’

Tim Southee, who just weeks ago stood down as captain, was the one who tiptoed along the boundary as the ball fell into his bucket hands to secure the series victory in Pune.

Will Young, player of the series, only got his ticket after the side’s greatest ever bat was ruled out injured.

Ajaz Patel, who will need extra baggage to take his new rug of that pitch which he’s taken 25 wickets, averages 15 on and loves so much.

And yes, Tom Latham. Never mind Cook or Columbus, the Blackcaps skipper has reached territories that no captain, Kiwi or otherwise, has ever before.

Bye bye, Bellerive Oval. Haere ra, Hampshire Bowl.

What’s up, Wankhede Stadium. New Zealand now has a new of pinnacle of test cricket series wins.

And it’s so ridiculous, you have to laugh.