Tour Diary - India in St. Kitts, July-Aug 2022
Seeing your heroes go about their routine nonchalantly just isn’t normal, but the equanimity of the Caribbean certainly helps.
Having experienced the warmth of the people of Trinidad in 2016, I was excited to hear about India’s tour of the West Indies. When the schedule was confirmed in May 2022, I realized the best option was to go to St. Kitts since I didn’t want to go to Trinidad again. After checking visa and COVID restrictions, I coordinated with two of my friends to book our travel, rental car, and the St. Kitts Marriott Resort.
Day 1 - Saturday, July 30th
We landed in Basseterre on the afternoon of Saturday, two days before the T20I. While I had done some basic research about St. Kitts (safety, things to do, tipping, etc.), I was surprised to see how small the airport was. Planes were asked to line up on one side after landing and people de-boarded using stairs. Once on the tarmac, we had to walk about a kilometer before we got to Arrivals.
After picking up our rental car, we got to the hotel around 4 PM and instantly noticed players of the West Indian team walking around the lobby. Since we were hungry after our 8-hour travel, we decided to eat at one of the restaurants in the hotel. As we were taking a seat, we noticed Shreyas Iyer was sitting at the bar having sushi, while Dinesh Karthik (DK), Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, and Ravi Bishnoi were having a late lunch on the other side of the same restaurant.
The Caribbean isn’t packed with thousands of Indian fans and this means that they are usually wandering around with no security means doing the normal things that all people do. Even though I had experienced this in Trinidad in 2016, it was still a surreal experience (particularly for my two friends who were first-timers) and took a little bit to get used to. Iyer was later joined at the bar by West Indian skipper Nicholas Pooran and when they were done eating, we asked them if they were okay with a photo and they happily obliged.
While there were many other fans like us, there were definitely some who didn’t respect players’ privacy or just boundaries in general. While DK’s group was eating, one Indian fan walked up to them and tried to shake hands with DK, who reluctantly gave in but then he went around the table while putting his hands on the shoulders of every other player in that group. There was also a middle-aged Indian fan from the US, who arrived after DK’s group had left and kept standing behind Iyer and tried talking to him loudly.
Pooran and Iyer were trying to have a conversation but he didn’t seem to care. Having noticed his antics for the past 10-15 minutes, I was very impressed with how Iyer handled the whole situation. Iyer was very calm and politely responded a couple of times to this fan and then kept smiling and continuing his conversation with Pooran. The same guy also created a scene later when Rohit Sharma was sitting in the lobby, to which Rohit snapped back “kya kar raho aap?” (What do you think you are doing?)
We ended the day by walking around the resort and spending a few minutes on the beach located right in front of the resort property. As we were walking up to our room to retire early, Rahul Dravid walked right past us. As a 30-year-old man who is known to be (usually) cool and calm, I completely froze while my friends greeted the great man with a “Good Night”. I probably wouldn’t have been as nervous if it wasn’t my childhood hero, but it also shows how most cricket fans (particularly in the subcontinent) have grown up seeing cricketers as heroes and idols. And seeing your heroes go about their routine nonchalantly just isn’t normal, but the equanimity of the Caribbean certainly helps.
Day 2 - Sunday, July 31st
After waking up early on Sunday, we decided to start the day with a walk around the beach. At around 8 AM, members of the West Indies team were in their training kit boarding a couple of buses on their way to the ground for a practice session. Some members of the Indian team and support staff were still walking around in shorts and tees and it didn’t appear like they were in any rush to head to practice. I was in the elevator with one of India’s support staff and I asked him why there was no practice session. He mentioned that India’s kit bags had not arrived yet and the team was waiting on those to figure out when they could practice.
I was a little surprised that the luggage issue hadn’t been reported on any of major cricketing websites, and wondered if there were many journalists on tour. Of course this meant that most of the players were relaxing around the hotel nearly all day and fans continued to chase them. Some fans spotted Ravindra Jadeja (with his wife and daughter) heading to breakfast and tried to chase him for a photo. Jadeja was blunt unlike Iyer the day before as he replied “Arre pehle hum khaana toh kha le”. (At least let us have breakfast first).
With no cricket scheduled for the day, we left to explore the island. The islands of St. Kitts and Nevis were formed due to volcanic activity and are mountainous and lush green due to ample rain. The dormant volcano (Mt. Liamuiga) was located on the other side of the island. We decided to drive to the trailhead to get a sense of views of the island and it was a nice 45-minute drive on a 2-way road about 23 km long. Views of the Caribbean Sea on the one side and mountains & hills filled with greenery on the other side.
When we stopped to get a few bottles of water, the store owner asked us to stop by for a beer with them on the way back. This was one of the many scenarios in which the warmth and good nature of the people of St. Kitts kept shining through. We also stopped at Brimstone Hill Fortress, once known as the “Gibraltar of the Caribbean”. As we explored the semi-restored Fort George Museum which we had to ourselves, we enjoyed the gorgeous views of the Caribbean Sea, the parishes of the island itself as well as neighboring islands such as the Netherlands Antilles.
The man who ran the canteen had been doing that for 42 years and shared his stories. When he found out we were originally from India, he shared the names of some spiritual leaders from India who helped him understand the meaning of life. The tranquility of the day wasn’t just due to the sights and the sea, the conversations throughout the day certainly added a lot.
Later at night, we decided to go to the casino inside the hotel. Two of us started playing blackjack on a table that also included Rohan Gavaskar, who appeared to be an experienced player. Initially, our exchange was limited to blackjack, but as some of the players left the table - we asked him about the challenges of being away from home for multiple weeks, whether he was planning to go to the USA for the last 2 T20Is and even discussed neighborhoods of Chicago since he had visited the city previously. Rohan was very friendly and easy to talk to.
Our 3rd friend isn’t much of a gambler and he spent time interacting with other Indian fans at the bar. During this time, he ended up gaining the acquaintance of the Logistics/Security Manager of the Indian team for the Caribbean. That’s how we learned that kit bags of India’s players had still not arrived and there was a chance that the match could be delayed.
Apparently, someone made a last-minute decision to put both the teams on the same charter flight from Trinidad and that meant some of the kits had to be left behind. May to August is hurricane season in the Caribbean and it impacts flights and boats - that’s my best guess as to why those kits hadn’t made it over even a day later, but no official clarity had been provided. And therefore, we decided to call it a night with a plan to get up as per the planned start time of the match.
2nd T20I - Monday, Aug 1st
Just as we were about to leave for the stadium, there was finally a confirmation about a delayed start to the game. We had planned to explore the island of Nevis after the game but the delay meant we likely wouldn’t have enough time. So we set out to explore some of the beaches on St. Kitts while we waited. August 1st is celebrated as Emancipation Day, followed by Culturama, which is meant to highlight the cultural heritage of the island, on August 2nd. Therefore, most beach shacks were closed and a lot of families were enjoying a long weekend just like most do here in the US - beach, beer, and barbeque.
After a second delay, one of the fans who had stayed back at the hotel informed us that the Indian team had left the hotel and that’s when we decided to head to the stadium. As we entered the ground and took our seats, we saw Avesh Khan practice some high catches with fielding coach T Dilip. Dilip seemed to be asking Avesh to keep the body behind the ball instead of catching it behind. As the stands started to fill up, it started to get very noisy with Indian fans in jerseys, turbans, and all kinds of dresses filling up the majority of the two stands that were on sale.
It would have been a good environment except for a section of them who were there to dance, shout, and have a good time even if that meant they were blocking the views of other fans trying to watch the game. As India came out to bat, it was clear that the scorers and announcer(s) at Warner Park were unsure which Indian batter was out there. Arshdeep for Suryakumar Yadav (SKY) was still somewhat understandable (since he was wearing Arshdeep’s jersey), but the digital scoreboard showed Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a couple of balls when Pant walked out.
The other odd thing about the experience was that they ran out of water within the first few overs but rum, whiskey, beer, and other drinks were available in ample supply. While the fan experience wasn’t as easy as it is in England, it was much more relaxed than in Indian stadiums with a low-key vibe to the whole operation. There was good banter among the two sets of fans too, as the West Indian supporters cheered loudly every time India lost a wicket.
The pitch appeared to be a pacy, bouncy one as at least 3 deliveries jumped off length in the Powerplay, including the first ball that got Rohit’s wicket. While SKY and Pant looked good for short durations, India certainly didn’t get enough runs on the board. The lack of practice likely didn’t help but looking at the long-term picture, this pitch was probably a good test for India’s preparedness for Australia.
With West Indies off to a flying start in the Powerplay, a 14-year-old boy from Dallas told us that Hardik would bowl the next over and he will get a wicket too. I should have bet my house on this, as Hardik went on to do just that. Jadeja too bowled with good discipline, but Arshdeep was the star of the show impressing with great execution to get take the game until the 20th over.
After heading back, we headed to the pool to relax, and sometime later, the players of both teams also jumped in for some cool-down exercises. Some others like Pant, R Ashwin, and DK were to the beach instead. We decided to stick with the Indian restaurant across the hotel for dinner and saw various members of the Indian team eat or pick up food from there. With the start of the 3rd T20I delayed, we went to the shacks at Frigate Bay, just minutes from the hotel. The environment was yet again brilliant, with some good music with super friendly hosts so you could just enjoy the sea breeze and chat the night away.
3rd T20I - Tuesday, Aug 2nd
On Tuesday, we decided to start with a heavy breakfast so that we wouldn’t have to eat at the stadium. As luck would have it, most places were either closed (due to the holiday) or too busy (due to all the tourists and Indian fans) to prepare our orders in time. So, off we went to Warner Park and things definitely appeared to be a lot more settled as compared to the previous day. They had ample water and no mistakes were made during announcements or by the scorer.
There were fewer Indian fans and that meant West Indies supporters were in the majority and a more calming atmosphere. There was still some good back and forth between the two sets of supporters, just like the previous day, but just not as loud. West Indies started the powerplay reasonably well but India kept a lid on the scoring afterward, conceding just 21 runs in overs 8-12.
For a nation filled with serenity, the fans weren’t so mellow when their players weren’t performing up to the mark. In the last few overs of the innings, local fans lost their patience with their own batters for not taking riskier runs. Similarly, when India was batting, Pant tried an upper cut over the keeper and missed. This ball was fumbled by the wicket-keeper much to the annoyance of the local crowd. While it was probably nothing like the nastiness that visiting teams experienced back in the 70s and 80s, they were a passionate bunch and not hesitant to make themselves heard.
While Arshdeep was brilliant again, Hardik and Ashwin bowled with really good control in the middle overs. But the outstanding performer for India was Suryakumar Yadav, who appeared to be batting on a different wicket altogether. His 6 over long off on the up was one of the many extraordinary strokes in a knock where he barely missed a ball. If anyone had questions about SKY’s place in the XI for T20 World Cup later in the year, that knock should answer them all.
For our last night in St. Kitts, we chose to relax at the black sand beach at South Friars Bay. Putting my feet up after taking a dip in the warm waters, I enjoyed the sunset views, and the chirping of birds over the ocean as I reflected on the previous 4 days - the cricket, encounters with cricketers, the food, and most importantly, the culture of St. Kitts. It’s as lovely and peaceful as it appears!