WC Final: Rain in Delhi, good omen for India

We present you the 360 on the World Cup final: A spectator from the stands, snippets from the streets, and the best of the Web

The betting meters are buzzing! Prithviraj Hegde is keeping a tab and here is the latest:

No wild fluctuations now.

With Jayawardene and Samarveera looking comfortable, it's back to 54 paise for India and 1.85 for Sri Lanka after 28 overs.

Which means for every Rs 100 bet on India, one gets Rs 154 and for Lanka, one gets Rs 285.

India were 60 paise and Lanka were 1.60 when the match started.

**

A reader writes in: A friend from Mumbai's western suburbs, wanting to step out, says no autos or taxis available on the streets. Most arterial roads deserted and most shops and hawkers seem to have taken the day off.

**

Sheela Bhatt has just landed in the Delhi airport, welcomed by a steady drizzle.

On the way home, the taxi driver tells her this is good omen for India as rain brings good luck. We have to wait till later in the night to see how true that is.

Earlier, she was at the Bhubaneshwar airport:

No corner of the country has escaped the cricket fever! The World Cup has had a truly unifying energy. When the screens beamed images of the national anthem from the Wankhede, people at the Bhubaneshwar airport stood up and and sang along. The airport came to a standstill for two minutes.

And people who have nothing to do with either country or the match are also keenly involved and discussing the match.

Sheela spoke to Richard Bennett, a UK based security expert, and he said: "Sachin will gift a century to India today. It is in his stars."

A tribal sweeper who she spoke to at the airport told her clearly: "We want either a Sachin ton or an India win or both. Nothing less will do!"

**