From a memorable journey between Manchester and Southampton, to Gulbadin Naib’s flexing his muscles and Chris Gayle’s surprise statement, our diary from England...
After a thumping victory over Pakistan at manchester's Old Trafford, the Indian cricket caravan heads to Southampton. The sports scribes follow suit, switching trains and stations at London, using the underground metro beneath the sprawling metropolis as an intermediary. The players meanwhile travel in their swanky team bus while a few like Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan link up with their families and take the train.
The railway lines slice through back gardens, skirt around golf courses, cruise past rolling hills dotted with sheep in a languorousmood aftermunching on lush grass, and at times burrows through long tunnels and, hey, there is definitely awarmEnglish sunat the end of it. However, correspondents don’t have the time to tap into their inner WilliamWordsworth.Duty calls and laptops surface, copies arebeltedout, inferences are drawn from the triumph against Pakistan and themobile hotspot is activated to transmit stories back to offices in India. Writing on the run is intrinsic to any tour of England thanks to the time difference as Old Blighty is four-and-a-half hours behind India.
A cozy flat awaits in Southampton, fringed by the woods, a meadow and a road on the edge. A bird that looks like a distant cousin of the crow pheasant struts in the garden, and a squirrelmuchbulkier than the ones seen back home turns coy and scampers away. Life’s final stop is at close quarters too as a signboardpoints to a crematorium just a walk away.
This story is from the July 27, 2019 edition of Sportstar.
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This story is from the July 27, 2019 edition of Sportstar.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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