Joys of Watching Cricket at 4 AM

Something with waking up really early to watch a game of cricket. 

From the days of my high school, I have always enjoyed watching the game of cricket the ones that start really early. I can't place a finger on what it was that I enjoyed so much. It could be the silence. It could be that the entire street - at least definitely the people at home, it could be the absence of noise from the streets. What I do know I enjoyed is having the cricket on, muted mostly - you know the ads can suddenly start with a bang and wake everyone up. It could be the cup of steaming filter coffee I sit with.

With the muted TV, I used to study. I remember distinctly, even after 20 years, the angle of repose and concepts of friction that I studied with TV on at 4 AM, watching India play either West Indies in West Indies, New Zealand in New Zealand, or Australia in Australia. 

The whole thing is that, today, I find myself doing the same thing - sitting in front of a muted live telecast of India playing New Zealand in New Zealand at 4: 30 AM. The cup of steaming filter coffee is replaced by a cup of ginger tea. I now have a laptop in front of me and I try to complete some pending work in the meanwhile. Rahul Dravid is no longer playing. Neither is Anil Kumble. I am watching Prithvi Shaw, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah. The joy is the same.