The stadium gates swung open at 10.30 a.m. sharp and people started trickling in from then on. The trickle grew thicker and thicker and by match time, roads leading to the Chinnaswamy Stadium were overflowing with people.
Young boys and girls, middle aged people, the old and sturdy, all joined the queues to the terraces and their seats. First outside and then inside was a show of how to exploit national sentiment and cash in on the occasion to make quick money. The tricolour and the yellow and maroon Karnataka flag, in all sizes, were being sold. The tricolour was painted on the faces of those wanting to be painted. “Left side or right side,” was the dilemma of a teenaged girl as her father waited for the painter to finish.
The blue shirts of the Indian team was sold for prices ranging from Rs 200 to 800. Caps too were available in plenty. Most looked around for purchases by which they could identify with the Indian team. But some also looked for those to support the England team with. But they did not find much though a couple of red-blue-white combination caps and jerseys were available.
At the end of the road away from the main gates was a youngster selling posters which took the cake. “U can take the coffee cup, but not the World Cup,” said a poster that he had himself coined. A group supporting England picked on it and said we will say that to India.
“Dhoni Dho Daal, Dho Dho Ke Rolaa Dal”, was one meant for the Indian captain. “Yes I will take this and hold it up for the cameras as soon as Dhoni comes to bat,” said a Dhoni fan as he paid Rs 20 and picked up one. Surely the police force would have flinched had they read this: “Time bomb has a time, Yusuf can explode anytime.” Well, this appealed to some and the cops walked past and read it heaved a sigh of relief. “4 sexy shot 6, 4 once again 6,” was the fourth of the lot.
Yes, the crowd was there. And people amused themselves with the Mexican wave.