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Harsha Bhogle interview: On being cricket's voice, Sachin Tendulkar's impact and Team India's future
'I've never seen a stronger statement in favour of sport than this.'
Way back in 1999, this line by Harsha Bhogle flowed through our TV screens even as a joyous Pakistan cricket team went on a victory lap in Chennai's Chepauk. 'There's not a man or woman in the stadium who is sitting. They are cheering Pakistan. What a sight this is,' he said in awe, even as the visuals focussed on the crowd and the players without breaking for an advertisement.
This moment is etched in cricketing history thanks to Pakistan's narrow 12-run victory despite Sachin Tendulkar's heroics. It is also one of the highlights of Harsha's initial years in commentary, a career which would go on to cover more significant events and tournaments.
'It was a coming-of-age moment for me, because I was thrust into that situation, with no time to think. Hence, I was able to say what I genuinely believed. It is in these situations that you cannot wear a mask,' recalls Harsha, over a virtual call.
Since then, Harsha has come to be described by many as one of the best cricket commentators across the world. His evocative lines have served as an accompaniment for riveting cricketing encounters in various formats. From poetically describing many memorable Sachin knocks — with lines like 'If Sachin plays well, India sleeps well' — to wittily describing on-field incidents — with lines like 'He had so much time in the world to play that ball that he could have read a newspaper' — Harsha's warm, reassuring voice has flooded our drawing rooms whenever cricket is being played. 'I have always love the sounds of the game. When I was six, I remember reading Sport and Pastime, from The Hindu, and this particular photo of Tiger Pataudi at the Oval in 1967 is still fresh in my memory.'
The big clash
The bespectacled sports commentator will be at it yet again, in the upcoming high-stakes India-England Test series clash. With a young Shubman Gill at the helm, leading a relatively-young side following the retirement of stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, all eyes are on how India will perform. 'I am looking forward for different reasons,' says Harsha, 'I want to see how the core Indian batting group is going to adapt to English conditions. It's still a largely inexperienced line-up in those conditions. And I would like to see how England responds to Jasprit Bumrah, the best bowler in the world now.'
Harsha has already started preparing for this crucial five-match tour, which will be played at some of the iconic English venues such as Headingley, Lord's, Edgbaston, Old Trafford and the Oval. 'As there's so much cricket these days, I quickly go back to see what happened in the last few years, and how particular players did at different points of time. I also look at the choices for India and England, making a checklist of things I want to speak about.'
Test cricket is going through an interesting phase at the moment, with the influx of fast-paced T20 cricket that gives audiences lots of entertainment in very little time. In an Instagram-friendly world where even one-minute Reels are jostling for attention, the Test format of cricket — played over five days and many sessions — is trying to find its own niche. Harsha explains, 'Whether it's music or cuisine or friendships, you cannot force choices on people. I can only tell people why Test cricket is so alluring to watch; we have just seen the display of character at the WTC final (South Africa vs Australia). You see that in T-20 as well, but you see it for just five minutes or so. Over here, your character is tested and how you navigate different situations that arrive in the course of a game. Suddenly, conditions change and you have to adapt. That's what we do in life, right?'
Being relevant
Harsha Bhogle's initial years were associated a lot with Sachin Tendulkar's gritty hundreds, but he has come a long way since then, to describing key moments and younger players of the game. From Sachin Tendulkar to Sai Sudarshan, how does he manage to keep the excitement intact? 'If you tell Sai Sudarshan's family members that you put his name in the same sentence as Sachin, they won't sleep for a week. I see extraordinary skill and wish him well. I was lucky that people used to tune on to watch Tendulkar, and because they watched it with audio, I got heard. Tendulkar was the sun that shone on us and therefore, all the other tiny things in the solar system too got noticed,' he says.
Cricket has taught him, among other things, to stay humble and to be in the moment. 'The great thing about our game is that the moment you think you've seen it all, you get a resounding kick on your backside. We have to be alert to that. If you don't, you will become irrelevant.'
Commentary too has come a long way since the time Harsha entered the industry. Today, regional language commentary on sport is picking up, with many local references used by the experts to connect with newer audiences that might not be very familiar with the game. How does he view commentary in the regional languages? 'There is a perception I am violently opposed to that in regional language, everything goes. That is being disrespectful to the audience,' he says, adding, 'There is a grandmother somewhere enjoying cricket, but now, because it is in Kannada or Tamil or any other language, she is enjoying it more. The job of the commentator is to tell the story in a manner that the audiences find palatable, without disrespecting the viewer.'
Watch India tour of England from 3.30pm, June 20 onwards live on Sony Sports Ten 1 & Sony Sports Ten 5 channels
