The crowd, only too pleased to posture aggressively for any lens, prepared for wildness. The BCCI made it a free-for-all, and both the Vijay Merchant stand and the Sachin Tendulkar stand were bursting at the seams.

A stage had been erected right in front of the Garware Pavilion, and prime midfield position had been carved out for the media. TV journalists barked cliches -- 'this is a new young generation of fans welcoming a new young generation of cricketers' -- into their cellphones, hurrying to beat one another while curiously struggling to eavesdrop on each others' lines. The press gathered beneath umbrellas and walked briskly around, while thirty-odd white plastic chairs remained wet and empty.

Every now and then, fans would rise with a Mexican Wave, the war-whoops from one stand inciting similar behaviour in the adjacent galleries. Phones rang in the press enclosure, and friends and family were advised to head to the stadium to the Sunil Gavaskar stand. 'You don't want to miss this,' cooed a chirpy little anchor. She cooed correctly. Also read: Fans invade Wankhede Stadium

Back

|

Next