World Cup diary: Beating England black and blue, visit to a cricket heaven, and Ravi and Yuvraj’s six out of six

By K.R. Nayar
From Ekana Stadium

Lucknow. Every fan wears Team India's blue jersey and passionately cheers for their team. With over 46,000 spectators doing so at Ekana Cricket Stadium, it was no wonder that England were beaten black and blue. Quite likely no player will claim blue as their favorite color anymore. For that matter, this may apply to all teams that lost to India in this tournament.

 

Match Day announced in style. Photos ICC

As they say, if you are wholeheartedly fond of cricket, it will reward you in various ways. Reporting from Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium for the India-Pakistan match with 100,000 people, and at the Ekana Stadium surrounded by 46,000 fans, and savoring the atmosphere, this ranks as one of the greatest rewards for me. I've reported amidst 94,000 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Stadium, but the fervor experienced at stadiums in India, especially these two, is electrifying.

 

Ravi Shastri .., whipping up excitement 

During the break, former India captain Ravi Shastri strolled into the press box and remarked, "What an atmosphere and what a performance." I reminded him that he had initiated the excitement through his commentary. It was a pleasure to speak with Shastri as Team India has now secured six consecutive victories. He had once hit six sixes in an over against Baroda's Tilak Raj in the 1984-85 Ranji Trophy match for Mumbai. Yuvraj Singh has also achieved a similar feat with six sixes against England's Stuart Broad in the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup. A newspaper headline even read '6 for 6 for Team India.'

 

A fan roots for Ravi Shastri 

When you come out of these two grounds, you get the feeling of  having visited a place out of this earth because every seat is occupied by fans bubbling with joy, enjoying every moment, and above all screaming with delight. That’s the magic that cricket creates in these grounds. Cricket fans transform these venues into heaven of cricket. Similarly, when India’s national anthem is played and when everyone sang ‘Vande Matharam’ it gives goosebumps, boosting everyone’s patriotism.

 

A packed Ekana Stadium 

Sometimes one wonders if this incredible atmosphere is what turns Team India into unstoppable warriors. I was particularly fond of some of the banners that the crowd waved. The view from the press box allowed us to see and hear everything clearly. Despite being in an enclosed box, the sounds of the fans came through loud and clear.

One poster from a fan seated in the top tier of the stadium for Rohit Sharma read: 'Hit man, please Hit me.' In most posters, the letter 'O' in Rohit's name was replaced with a heart symbol, and a few posters said 'I Love RoKo.' 

 

RoKo celebrate 

Interestingly, all roads leading to the stadium had signs with 'Roko' (which means 'stop' in Hindi) forcing many to walk a long distance. It took some time for me to realise that  it stood for Rohit and Kohli. 

Team India's victory has also given a boost to firecracker manufacturers ahead of the Diwali festival. Normally, their sales only pick up during Diwali, but this time, fans are purchasing them in celebration of Team India's triumph in most cities. ICC triggers it with a firework display after the victory at the stadium.