The nattily arranged mini library at Leela Hotel, Kovalam, seemed like the most unsuited place to meet a man who painted the most spectacular image in fielding to rattle the wickets of Inzamam-ul-Haq in the 1992 world cup on a bristling Brisbane cricket ground. ‘Is it a bird or a flight? No, it is Jonty Rhodes’, thus celebrated a newspaper, the enduring aerial picture of a man swooping in the air, his arms stretched forth and his head fixed high and steady and his eyes riveted on the bails. The blue-eyed bird was right in front of us, obviously flattered to recall his cricketing days with a bite of cookies and sip of steaming sugarless coffee. ‘’I don’t like sugar. I have got cookies for sweet,’’ says Jonty Rhodes, who was on a sortie to Kovalam on Friday.
He is glad to mix some cricket with his coffee. ‘’I have been closely following South Africa. They are the favourites to win the cup, though the Aussies are always a dangerous side.’’
What about India? ‘’Fifty-fifty,’’ he gives a blank stare and bursts into a chuckle.
‘’Your team is a bundle of talent. It is just that you don’t click together as a team which is very important to win a major tourney,’’ he adds.
‘’Gary Kirsten is a wonderful man to coach the Indian team.’’
Any prospect of Jonty taking over? He sits brooding for a while and quips back, ‘’Do you have a head massage here?’’
As I sit perplexed, he explains: ‘’It is a huge challenge to be the coach of Indian team. For you, cricket is a rage and as a coach the very thought could drive him crazy. If I became the coach of India, I would have to frequently fly down to Kerala just to have some good massage and keep me in my good wit,’’ he again laughs, while adding a word of compliment for the massage he had on Friday morning.
‘’Don’t I look fresh?’’ Seeing me nod, he says: ‘’So, it really works. Seriously, your massage has indeed rejuvenated me.’’
In fact, the nimble-footed South African was so invigorated that he just mounted the Royal Enfield with his girlfriend Kaira and went for a five-hour ride.
Jonty had made sure that he had his favourite bike ready outside the hotel lounge. But Jonty admits, ‘’It is a bit hard to ride along the traffic here. It is absolutely chaotic. But I managed pretty well and even hit a speed of 100 kmph.’’
He is also keen to narrate the ‘wonders’ he saw. ‘’Hei, I saw a whole family riding on a bike. There was a kid who was happily asleep on its father’s back. You guys do anything with a bike,’’ he remarks.
As we wait for him to strike a good pose with his Enfield, Jonty waltzes jauntily, hushing one of the hotel persons, who says ‘’Now you can handle it yourself. Can’t you?’’
Jonty is eager to clarify, ‘’It was nothing. The bike had a starting trouble and the guy helped me. Otherwise, I had a cool ride and of course a memorable stay here,’’ he winks.
source : expressbuzz.com
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