World Cup 2011 - Watching Live Cricket in India

Quarter-finals returned to world cup after 15 years. Broad believe before the tournament was that world cup ‘proper’ will only start at quarterfinal stage. I had bought my ticket for Ahmadabad quarterfinal as soon as tickets went on sale last year knowing it will an India game unless they manage to lose unprecedented 4 games in league stage.

Match Day

I arrived at Delhi airport with my cousin in time for my 7 AM flight to Ahmadabad. Airport was buzzing despite the early morning on a week day with many passengers in their Team India shirts. Even before the take off slogans chanting started in flight itself…Indiaaa Jeetega (India will win). If so many spectators were flying in one flight, made me wonder how many locals could get their hands on the tickets.

I missed the fact that I had yet to get my hands on the tickets, and what a nightmare it turned out to be. I was at ticket pick-up counter by 9:30 AM and already there was huge crowd. Not sure if it would have made any difference that my taxi driver first tried to drop us off at old Sardar Patel Stadium in the city claiming that he had dropped passengers there before that morning. Somehow he ignored that my pre-paid taxi receipt had Motera written on it.

There were as many lines, as many people were in the need of a ticket. Many thought that tickets were being sold there and added to the caose. The long line of ‘sharif’ (rules follower gentlemen) people won’t move an inch as everyone had crowded two tiny windows that you can only guess were there since it was unlikely that all those people were just being desperate to try pray against that white wall confusing it with the more famous one in the Jerusalem.

Someone who managed to get deeper into the human bushes tried to scared others away by reminding them of potential police ‘lathi charge’ but of course what kind of Indian cricket fan are you if some stick beating worries you. Some customary fights among fans brought out in the sultry heat and growing frustrations.

At one point frustration got to the Kyazoonga agent who was distributing ticket at the window, as he closed his shop in sudden jolt of anger. I suspect he was just trying to get loo break as he came back after some time. At one point when I felt I had made some inroads I got pushed out to the corner on other side. While I was trying to formulate my strategy on how to safely navigate my way to the ticket window Newton’s 3rd law came true and same forces managed to push me in to the window. So I had my tickets in my hand and miraculously was still safe and alive after 2 hours of freedom struggle.

A hotel check-in and shower later I was back at the stadium. Turns out you cannot take cell phones inside. Now this rule was new. Cell phones were not in the prohibited items list and I was allowed to carry it in Chennai for India – West Indies game. Gujrati entrepreneurship was on full display as most of the shops across the stadium had ‘mobile parking’ signs. You could leave your phone for anything between INR 30 to 60 depending upon how good your phone was. I ended up trusting the auto rickshaw driver and let him keep my phone until the game was over and then drop me back to the hotel.

By the time I got to my seat, well there was not a seat number assigned, most of the stand was full. Few empty seats were all in the sun, among them front row seats. I would have taken the front row seats given a choice anyway but they were all decorated with birds’ droppings. This is for the India’s world cup quarter-final game. I was still lucky to get a ‘clean’ seat but those who arrived after me had to settle with dirty seats. Despite being some of the best seats in the Motera stadium, just under the press box, you couldn’t get the 360 degree view of the ground as roof of the neigbouring stand had taken out a slice of the pie from spectators’ views. Two video screens were also only partially visible. But the view of the pitch from just behind the bowlers arm or from behind the wicket-keeper was excellent.

Match started and excitement took over. India bowled first. Soon MS Dhoni asked for review and I kept shouting, ‘no don’t review, don’t waste it’ as it looked not out to me from my seat. It was a mixed feeling when ‘Not Out’ verdict came out. As Ricky Ponting came out to bat the section of crowd in my stand started to chant, ‘Ponting is a bastard’. How shameful. Is that the way to welcome a legend to the batting crease? Fittingly Ponting responded with a century amid his ongoing slump of form. That group of cricket fans never stopped from bringing shame to the city and the country. Anytime Aussies will appeal or talk to umpires for something, they will cry, ‘Aussies sucks’ or ‘Aussies are the cheaters’. What impressions an elderly Australian couple sitting few rows behind me must have taken home with them?

Cricket itself was a delight to watch. The sight of stadium bathing in the artificial lights and hordes of birds flying in the sky above the ground, just as Sehwag and Sachin were readying to stepped out is something I’ll not forget. Next three and half hours were tense. After a very good start, India seemed to throw it all away. I must say that from stands Dhoni’s square cut didn’t look like a getting out shot. I was bit surprised to see the criticism in press later. But what an innings Yuvraj and Raina played to bring India back into the game. Raina’s six of the first ball in batting powerplay bowled by Lee was a signal that India is on its way to Mohali. In the end match was worthy of its billing.

It was difficult to hear the post match presentation clearly at the ground. Sunil Gavaskar was busy signing autographs as presentation was going on. The man still generates great respect from cricket fans in India. As I exited the stand I saw Deelip Premachandran busy typing on his laptop in the press box. Riding back to hotel, it was expected to see people blowing horns and shouting on the streets of Ahmadabad. Somewhere I knew that it was only a pre curser of much bigger celebrations on marine Drive in Mumbai eight days later.