My living breathing life for the most part of it deals with Sports. I have followed Football, Cricket and Tennis diligently for a larger part of a decade and a half. Yet I haven’t really put my head into the world of sports documentaries or sports-based fiction series. Here and there, those boxing movies, Moneyball, Chak De India or a Lagaan have been part of the good memories at theatre but none that I have been interested in to put in the effort of about 7–8 hours into a story.
Australian Resuscitation in their second most loved sport in the country is coming at the back end of the second half of the past decade. A new coach and a naïve team playing the sport at an international level post the ouster of two of their Galacticos after an infamous scandal breaks out. You get the clue, there will be redemption. A team already pitted against their own old fate will need to find deeper reasons to win. Cricket is a captain’s sport much unalike Football which is a Manager’s sport. Who do you turn to when you lose your captain and your coach in one turn of conspicuous ludicrousness. Justin Langer a legend of the game, joins hands with the board, a few former Talismans to change the way their Men’s national team is perceived in the country. Was this a deliberate PR attempt by Cricket Australia, probably. Even if it were, Director Adrian Brown can be proud of this piece. It packs a solid punch. I am a debutant at this genre, and I might revisit this one at the end of this year again after having watched many from this genre, my gut says, this will stay true to its colours.
Whatever I have read and heard about sports drama , it needs to be more about things around the sport than the sport itself. Multiple epoch-esque cinematic sequences in an essentially David — the scenario situation vs Goliath — this naïve new team with fervent vigour is the central theme of this non-fiction drama. A reality show, without the everyday masala but about professional sportspersons discussing strategy with stats , numbers and mentality is a treat to watch. This is close to what goes on in world class competitions. Its an inside into the world most of us have a sense about but almost no reference point. A commonality that I realized was the leitmotif of parlances and environment that a corporate meeting has tantamount to the world cup meeting before Australia met England (their arch rivals and eventual champions). You are rooting for the underdog from the word go. The injuries, the separation from their families, the frustration of sportsmen who have played 15 years of professional sport, the hunger or some places the lack of it. There are ounces of magnificence in many episodes and the editing along with the incredible sound design. It’s a must watch from an amateur sports documentary junkie.
