Book Launch: The Pluck of the Draw – Scintillating Cricket Stalemates by Kaushik Ganguli Celebrates the Drama of Cricket’s Greatest Draws

On February 13, the iconic Oxford Bookstore turned into a cricket adda for the launch of “The Pluck of the Draw: Scintillating Cricket Stalemates” by Kaushik Ganguli, organised by Mona Sen Gupta and Sushroota Sarkar from AHAVA Communications and AHAVA Readers’ & Writers’ Club.

Moderated by I S Bhandari, the discussion had the perfect mix of humour and insight. With radio personality Jimmy Tangree and former Bengal cricketer Joydeep Mukherjee on the panel, it was never going to be a boring evening.

Ganguli won hearts instantly with his line, “Never a good player, but I am a keen student of the game.” That honesty set the tone. He traced his fascination back to January 1949 – India vs West Indies at Brabourne Stadium -and from there unfolded stories of 29 drawn Test matches between 1949 and 2021. Matches that didn’t end in confetti but in courage.

The audience, clearly serious cricket buffs, came prepared. One question that stood out was: “Do you feel like cricket fields in India are like diamond mines?”

The room laughed – but also paused. Because honestly? It does feel that way. From dusty maidans to packed stadiums, India keeps producing talent after talent. But as the panel pointed out, even in a diamond mine, not every stone becomes a jewel overnight. Young cricketers often have to wait – sometimes for years – in the “selection waiting room.” Talent is one thing. Timing, consistency, team balance – that’s another battle altogether.

There were questions about whether rising players like Vaibhav Suryavanshi could soon find a place in the national team. That naturally led to a deeper conversation about patience – how many great cricketers spend seasons proving themselves before getting that one cap. In many ways, surviving the wait is its own Test match.

The panel also spoke about how technology has reshaped the game, how T20 cricket has sped up expectations, and how the IPL changed the financial ecosystem – sponsors, glamour, money, everything. Legends like Rusi Surti and Farokh Engineer were fondly remembered for their humility, reminding everyone that greatness and groundedness once went hand in hand.

When excerpts from the book were read aloud, the room grew still. You could almost feel a tense Day Five session – fading light, tired bowlers, batters refusing to blink. It was emotional in a quiet way.

And if test cricket had background music? It would begin with Eye of the Tiger by Survivor – pure grit. And end with We Are the Champions by Queen – not just for wins, but for endurance as said by Jimmy.

In cricket, in books, and maybe in life – sometimes you don’t shine instantly. Sometimes you sit in the waiting room. Sometimes you fight for five days.

And sometimes, that survival is the real victory.