5 witty moments in commentary box

When it’s about cricket, the battle is between bat and ball. The focus stays on the pitch and how the players are doing in their respective departments. Even as most of the reports are churned out on what happened on the game, the ones, describing the matches- the commentators- shouldn’t be underestimated. In fact, they are the ones, who make the encounters more intriguing for the fans. Over the years, there have been some of the commentators of the highest calibre. From the likes of Tony Greig to David Lloyd, a number of them have oozed sheer class with the microphone in hand. They hardly had to face flak for their words. Amidst some serious talks, the speakers have also been involved in some rib-tickling conversations, which added to the entertainment factor of the contests. In the article, let’s take a look at five witty moments in the commentary box: – 1. Geoffrey Boycott and Harsha Bhogle Geoffrey Boycott and Harsha Bhogle. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Geoffrey Boycott and Harsha Bhogle are two of the most enigmatic figures in the commentary box. Both of them managed to enthrall with their simple, yet witty style of communication. Going down the memory lane, there was an instance when Bhogle trolled Boycott severely. The 79-year-old veteran put forth the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s numbers at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. “Sachin may be a great batsman but he never got his name at the Lord’s honour board,” Boycott said. The honours board shows the name of cricketers, who have scored centuries and have taken five-wicket hauls. Bhogle was in no mood to die wondering. “So, whose loss is it, Sachin’s or the honour boards’?” he replied. Sachin only has 240 runs at the Lord’s with a highest score of 37. 2. Richard Hadlee and Richie Benaud Richard Hadlee and Richie Benaud. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Richard Hadlee and Late Richie Benaud were dynamic cricketers from their era. Later, they took to commentary to entertain the listeners. Once, they were involved in a hilarious conversation, which raised quite a few eyebrows. Michael Atherton, the former England captain, was hit in the box and Hadlee said ‘That ball bounced’. It was evident that the extra bounce caught Atherton napping. Benaud had a funny reply in store. Reverting to Hadlee, he said ‘Which One?’. It was pretty understanding what was Benaud referring to. After his stupendous piece of work on and off the field, Benaud embraced the heavens on April 10, 2015. Hadlee, on the other hand, was one of Black Caps’ greatest all-rounders. In his 17-year-old career, he scored over 4,800 runs and got 589 wickets. 3. Navjot Sidhu and Martin Crowe Navjot Sidhu and Martin Crowe. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Navjot Sidhu was an entertainer when he wielded the willow. And he kept capturing hearts with the microphone as well. Though his commentary was incessant at times, he still managed to garner a whole lot of popularity. But there have been instances when the veteran tried to troll his fellow commentators. Once such instance came against the Late Martin Crowe, the former Kiwi batter. New Zealand were chasing a stiff target in one the games and then Sidhu said, “You’d better reach for your hanky (handkerchief), you’ll be crying very shortly…’ and ‘They are going to make mincemeat of the Kiwis…’ However, to his dismay, the Black Caps ended winning the match and Sidhu’s troll boomeranged on him. Nevertheless, he carried on with his superb journey with the mic. 4. Sourav Ganguly and Ravi Shastri Sourav Ganguly and Ravi Shastri. (Photo Source: Twitter) Sourav Ganguly and Ravi Shastri are two of the colossal figures in Indian cricket. Even as Ganguly in the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Shastri is the head coach of the men’s national team. However, before their current careers, they were commentators. Bearing in mind their personality, some funny interactions used to take place between the former Indian cricketers. Most grounds in cricket have stands, named after a certain player. Shastri once asked Ganguly regarding not having a stand after his name at the Eden Gardens. “Now tell me, in Eden Gardens shouldn’t there be a Sourav Dada Ganguly Stand?” he said. Ganguly hardly bows down to challenges and prefers to reply with humour. Dada smiled and said: “The Entire Ground Belongs to me Ravi”. 5. Rahul Dravid and Nasser Hussain Rahul Dravid and Nasser Hussain. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Rahul Dravid and Nasser Hussain once had some witty exchange of words inside the commentary box. The latter tried to pester Rahul, talking about India’s decent start in a tournament. “Have your boys peaked too early, Rahul?” Hussain asked. Dravid may not be flashy, but knows how to revert. “Better to peak early than not peak at all. You have to peak early to make the quarters actually. That’s sort of the rule of the tournament,” Dravid said. Thereafter, Shane Warne joined in and took a funny dig at the Englishman. ’You expected that answer, didn’t you Nasser ?” the spin wizard said. Hussain was in no mood to give up on the banter either. “From you maybe, not from the nicest man in world cricket,” he replied. Dravid finally ended the conversation, saying “I was sledged all along in the last commentary stint in about 2007, just itching to give it back. Sorry Nasser.”

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5 witty moments in commentary box

The conversations added to the entertainment of the matches.

2. Richard Hadlee and Richie Benaud

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