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On day two of the Bengal versus Assam Ranji Trophy 2025-26 Elite Group C match at the Bengal Cricket Academy in Kalyani, an unusual sight caught everyone's attention: a foreign couple, both sporting Indian cricket team hats, watched the entire game with unwavering enthusiasm. Their presence piqued the curiosity of Sportz Point, prompting a deeper look into their fascinating story.
Meet David Marucs and Deborah Marcus, who came all the way from England to watch the India vs South Africa Test series at Eden Gardens, and since the Test match was over in three days, they did not want to waste the opportunity to watch a Ranji Trophy match.
English couple’s love for cricket makes them return back to India
The 70-year-old couple has been married for 13 years since Deborah’s first husband passed away. Ever since, Deborah has accompanied David on his cricket adventures, journeying to India with him twice each year to indulge his passion for the sport. “David loves cricket, and I travel with him to every cricket match he goes to,” Deborah shared with Sportz Point.
David, a former software engineer from England, first visited India in 2009 and, since then, has been coming here frequently. “I love the enthusiasm for cricket here. Everyone is so attached to the game. I love the passion. I even have a five-year visa,” David told us.
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Both David and Deborah were impressed to see the number of fans who turned up for the India vs South Africa, 1st Test at Eden Gardens. “It was around 48,000 people on Friday and even more on Saturday. It is great for Test cricket. But, it was sad to see the match getting over in three days,” David expressed.
The elderly couple, however, was not impressed with a few things at the Eden Gardens Cricket stadium during their visit to the ground. “There should be more food and a few more things available for the fans at the stadium, who were not under the shade. It was hot. But, even with the sun out, fans kept on turning up, which is great,” David added.
From England to New Zealand via India, just for love of cricket
Although David is from England, Deborah is from New Zealand. They both now live in England, and every year they travel to New Zealand to see her family there. But their love for cricket will take them to New Zealand via India.
“From here, we will go to Guwahati to watch the second Test. From there on, we will travel to New Zealand,” Deborah shared.
In the 2024 India vs England Test series, both David and Deborah travelled in five Indian cities, from Hyderabad to Himachal Pradesh, for the five Tests. In between that, Deborah even went to Kashmir to watch one of the most scenic places on earth.
“Last year, we travelled to five cities during the Test series. But there was a gap between the end of the fourth Test in Ranchi and the start of the final Test in Dharamshala. So, I even went to Kashmir as well,” Deborah told.
Deborah, who played Croquet for New Zealand in the past, is proud to see the growth of Women’s Cricket in England and in India, too. “It is great to see how women’s cricket is growing. I have seen it in England, and I believe it is growing in India as well. More people should come up and invest in women’s cricket,” Deborah added.
Despite the concerning air pollution in the northern part of India, especially in Delhi, the couple wishes to come back to India for their love of cricket.
“We can sense the love for cricket here. Even in domestic matches, people are coming to watch games. The IPL has changed the future of the game, too. We would love to see IPL matches in India someday as well. It’s just an electric atmosphere,” David told us, just before catching their taxi from Kalyani to Kolkata, from where they will fly to Guwahati to watch the second Test between India and South Africa.