Watching cricket was in my 'things-not-to-do' lists and I am still dumbfounded as to how did I end up watching it LIVE! I was familiar with them as people/celebrities who were basically cricketers who featured in lots of commercials, endorsing anything and everything that they could lay their hands upon. :)
The stadium was full on a week-day which is quite a surprise as people here are totally professional on weekdays and go pubbing/relaxing on weekends. The mad Indian crowd screaming India-India! Jeetega bhai jeetega India jeetega! Seeing their icons play in front was too much for many who had come from remote areas of the UK just to watch India play. And then there was the big 'Tirangaa' hoisted near and around the stadium. Talk about 'jhandaa lehraana' on the angrezi soil. Phew!
The security was tight in the stadium which could seat 20K people, a feat equally praiseworthy if accomplished on Indian soil.
I saw Irfan Pathan, Delhi boy Ishant Sharma, Dhoni being visible only in his jersey no. 7 and then there was Yuvaraj! Irfan was too humble and sweet and even waved to the crowd who was turning hoarse screaming the name of the players fielding at the boundary. But I really felt bad when the hulk(not stud! OK?) Yuvaraj even did not look at, forget wave to the crowd. I even saw Venkatesh Prasad and remembered the good old days of cricket, when Prasad got angry yet maintained his cool and even got wickets, unlike Sreesanth screaming and jumping like a monkey! Bhajji blowing kiss to the crowd was one helluva shot! A must watch video if you find it on YouTube friends. Met Mr Manjrekar, but took no pics. He was polite and even gave autographs and posed for photographs as the desi public pushed and budged him on his way out of the ground.
As evident from the above written jewels of my mind- I'm a self-proclaimed 'buddhu' on cricket. I refuse to believe that it was cricket that was 'it and in' thing yesterday evening. It was the heady mix of phoren beer, desi DJ, phoren cheerleaders, desi public that made the evening a moment to remember. After all, India was playing against Ireland!
Cheers to India!
The stadium was full on a week-day which is quite a surprise as people here are totally professional on weekdays and go pubbing/relaxing on weekends. The mad Indian crowd screaming India-India! Jeetega bhai jeetega India jeetega! Seeing their icons play in front was too much for many who had come from remote areas of the UK just to watch India play. And then there was the big 'Tirangaa' hoisted near and around the stadium. Talk about 'jhandaa lehraana' on the angrezi soil. Phew!
The security was tight in the stadium which could seat 20K people, a feat equally praiseworthy if accomplished on Indian soil.
I saw Irfan Pathan, Delhi boy Ishant Sharma, Dhoni being visible only in his jersey no. 7 and then there was Yuvaraj! Irfan was too humble and sweet and even waved to the crowd who was turning hoarse screaming the name of the players fielding at the boundary. But I really felt bad when the hulk(not stud! OK?) Yuvaraj even did not look at, forget wave to the crowd. I even saw Venkatesh Prasad and remembered the good old days of cricket, when Prasad got angry yet maintained his cool and even got wickets, unlike Sreesanth screaming and jumping like a monkey! Bhajji blowing kiss to the crowd was one helluva shot! A must watch video if you find it on YouTube friends. Met Mr Manjrekar, but took no pics. He was polite and even gave autographs and posed for photographs as the desi public pushed and budged him on his way out of the ground.
As evident from the above written jewels of my mind- I'm a self-proclaimed 'buddhu' on cricket. I refuse to believe that it was cricket that was 'it and in' thing yesterday evening. It was the heady mix of phoren beer, desi DJ, phoren cheerleaders, desi public that made the evening a moment to remember. After all, India was playing against Ireland!
Cheers to India!
Great and lively !
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A mega smile fest from our Mini wonder !!
But then India is out of the series. Lets see, if I'm lucky a second time.
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