On V-Day, An Indo-Australian love story

Sober and serene are not the kind of words you would associate with Shaun William Tait. But that's what marriage can do to you.

For a man who is considered among the fastest hurlers of a cricket ball ever, Tait is at peace with himself now. This despite the fact that his body couldn't take the rigours of Test cricket for too long. Happy being his brutal self in Twenty20 leagues across the world, Tait is also coming to terms with life as a husband to a beautiful Mumbaikar. Move over inter-caste marriages. We are talking about an 'inter-national' alliance here.

During the initial part of the interview, Mashoom Singha, a highly successful model who now works for a winery in Adelaide, is kind enough to allow dna to discuss something as mundane as cricket with her hubby of eight months. Thank God that she has her cellphone for company.

Talking cricket
Expectedly, the talk veers to World Cup. Mashoom is busy WhatsApping, perhaps. She takes a sip of some Peroni every now and then.

"It's been a while since the World Cup has been held in Australia. Without sounding biased, I must say that Australia is one of the best places to host the World Cup. The grounds are fantastic here as well as in New Zealand. The competition will be run very smoothly," the 31-year-old says.

As we start talking about the contenders, Tait is quick enough to say that Australia are the overwhelming favourites to win the trophy they last lifted in the Caribbean eight years ago. "New Zealand are definitely up there as well. Both host nations have been playing some good in the lead-up to the World Cup. That apart, they have the home advantage," he reasons.

Mashoom, dressed in a pretty-looking embroidered white top, is keenly listening to the cricket talk, offering the occasional nod. "Yes, there's pressure on the Australian team, but it's nothing like what the Indian team goes through. There are roughly 23 million people in Australia," Tait says before taking a sip of his Peroni. "But the Indian team has to put up with 1.2 billion people," he says as a matter of fact. "The thing is that Australian fans expect good results. If this team doesn't make the final, then it will be a failure for them," he says. That's right.

Fast and faster
Tait, who last represented Australia four years ago, is happy plying his trade in Twenty20 leagues. An integral part of the Adelaide Strikers team in the Big Bash League, Tait is also keen on taking up an offer from the Essex county in England. "For me, it's my body," he says. "If I can keep on playing cricket as long as I can, I'll keep doing so until I can't walk or don't get picked anymore.

Blessed with an ultra-strong shoulder that allows him to touch the 150 kph-mark with ridiculous regularity, Tait has been a victim of injury breakdowns. In January 2008, he took an indefinite break from cricket citing physical and emotional exhaustion. Thankfully, he made a quicker-than-expected return to the game, but focused only on Twenty20.

"Look, I am a big person. I try to bowl fast all the time and it doesn't agree with my body. But I know I have done pretty well (despite all the injury setbacks). This is my 13th season. I have not played that much Test cricket or heaps of ODI cricket. But I am still playing the game. That's the only thing I am concerned about. So, if I can play for another two or three years, then I'll be very happy," he says.

Mashoom, in the meanwhile, is admirably patient.

"I could have cut down on pace and played more matches in the longer formats, but I have always wanted to bowl very fast. The only way for me to get picked in teams at the elite level is to bowl fast," Tait says.

Why so? '"That's because once you get to a stage where you start bowling at 150 kph, you want to do it all the time. You don't want to stop. You have got a reputation. You bowl fast. That's what people come to watch. It's my job to bowl. Cricket needs fast bowlers," he adds. It's simple. Tait never wants to be called a medium pacer.

The idols
Growing up on a regular fare of ODI cricket in the early 1990s, Tait grew up admiring the likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Curtly Ambrose and Glenn McGrath. "I remember watching ODI cricket involving Australia, the West Indies and Pakistan. Those guys spurred me on," he says.

Tait's funda is clear. Fast bowling is a desire one is born with. "I suppose it has to be natural. You have to be well-built to bowl fast. You can't just decide to bowl fast. The problem is that you are going to hurt your body. Brett Lee, Shoaib Akhtar have also had problems. They could gone on (by compromising on pace). But they didn't. Look there are only four to five people in the world who can bowl 150 kph-plus. There are plenty of batsmen, spinners and wicketkeepers, but only a handful of guys can bowl 150 kph-plus," Tait says.

Among the current lot, he admires Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. Young guys like Pat Cummins and James Pattinson are also impressive. I quite like Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav.

How we met
Done with cricket, we request Mashoom to join us.

So when did they first meet? "It was during the IPL in 2010," Mashoom replies in a jiffy. "I was doing a fashion show at the after-party. We kept bumping into each other. And one thing led to another," she gushes.

An "out-and-out Mumbai girl" whose childhood was spent "Juhu and Lokhandwala", Mashoom went to school and college in Bandra. In fact, she holds a degree in IT engineering.

"The shift to modelling happened thanks to my sister. She (Shamita Singha) won the Miss India Earth crown in 2001. I was a bookish girl, a total nerd and geek," she says. "She is the complete opposite of me," Tait is quick to add.

"So, Shamita would dress up and go for parties. Five hours later, she would still find me studying. One day, she asked me to get a portfolio clicked. I agreed and then the rest is history. I went on to shoot for the Kingfisher calendar and got several modelling assignments," she recalls.

Life as usual
Today, Mashoom runs an event management company and also spends enough time on fashion and wine. "The office is just 15 minutes from our house. It's a great place to work," she says.

Recently, the couple bought a pub on Fleurieu Peninsula, located about 85 km from Adelaide. Called the Hotel Elliott, Mashoom and Tait co-own the joint with a friend who has been in this business for more than 20 years. "He runs the show. I chat with the locals and mingle with them. There's a nice beach there. It's really quiet and chilled out," Tait says. Mashoom concurs.

But Tait loves India. "I have spent heaps of time in Mumbai. I am actually keen to go back again and again."

Thankfully, all their near and dear ones agreed to this union. "It wasn't tough," says the Punjabi kudi. "Ours is a close-knit family. My mom, dad and sister readily agreed." There weren't any issues in the Tait household either.

The funny part is that the Singha family seldom watched cricket. So, to me, Tait wasn't a known name. Imagine the world's fastest bowler being an unknown commodity in a Mumbai home! "Actually, her father never spoke to me about cricket," Tait says.

"That", Mashoom says "was the best part. My father not being an avid cricket fan actually helped."

The lovebirds, who shared an apartment in Bandra for more than a year, always yearned for a "big, beautiful house with ample space and a huge backyard". They found their dream home in the hills, just off the city of Adelaide.

The couple, who tied the knot in a private ceremony in Mumbai in June last year, is still rejoicing about all things new in life. "We have a new house, a new puppy and a new life. Everything's really new," they say in unison.

So what keeps them going? "As long as we can afford to travel… that's all we want," Tait says. Again, Mashoom concurs. Happy Valentine's Day!