Masala tea…umm…Masala cricket

Vaibhav Arora

I do not exactly remember how and when was the first time that I tried a cup of masala tea, but it has definitely been a few years. The only thing I remember is that it was after a lot of resistance on my part and convincing from a few believers that I actually decided to give it a go ahead. At first, it would be just a cup or two at a friend’s place, but it soon developed into an every morning and every evening routine. And before I knew it, the delightful liquid became a part of my daily life. I am still not sure if it was the tangy taste, the lovely aroma or anything else, but there was definitely something that kept me hooked on to it, making me yearn for more. Slowly, this daily routine became an addiction. A few months passed and the world was introduced to a revolution of sorts in the name of Twenty20 cricket. Unlike the lengthy and often dragging Tests and ODIs, this form of the game, also sometimes called the slam bang cricket, was fast paced, with extra spice, more tanginess and a whole lot of added twists and turns…something very similar to the masala tea, I recall. And on top of that, the advent of Twenty20 cricket was not all that smooth, as it had to face a lot of restraint and opposition from purists as well as from cricket boards of a few countries. Similarities again from somewhere, if you can figure it out. With time, Twenty20 cricket has assumed the role of a staple diet for numerous cricket fans, most of whom were losing interest in the game just because of the dearth of time to watch a Test or even an ODI. Gone are the days when one would have to skip school or office in order to watch an India-Pakistan clash, cause T20 is something you can enjoy while chilling out at home in the evenings. Another interesting characteristic that I noticed about my favourite beverage, masala tea, is that it did not leave its taste in the mouth for too long; a lot much like the Twenty20 cricket being played nowadays (read IPL), wherein you watch the action just for fun and do not care about who wins or loses beyond a certain extent. The disappointment of losing too does not last too long, even if you happen to support a team and end up being on the losing side. With the Indian Premier League and T20 World Championship being held in succession and Champions League T20 scheduled to be played shortly, the fatafat cricket has also become a part of life for a number of cricket lovers like me. The only thing that worries me though is that after a few months of having my ‘mandatory’ four cups a day of masala tea, the once tangy and irresistible bowl of nectar turned sour in a tick.