BENGALURU: Nivedith Gajapathy was ready to fly to Melbourne to watch the finals of the T20 match. But that was until India got out of the tournament after getting beaten by England in the semi-finals. The travel blogger had been planning this day for more than a month and was hoping to see India and Pakistan battling it out at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) again.
He had initially wanted to go for the group match of Indo- Pak, which ended with India’s win, but could not make it. Gajapathy will now cheer for England in the finals. “Before the semis, when it looked like India would be in the finals, the ticket prices (150A$) on the black market shot up like crazy but I didn’t want to give up my tickets,” says Gajapathy.
Similar to Gurukiran Shetty as well. Shetty, a well-known Sandalwood singer, was thrilled to be in Melbourne to witness the match live but is quite sad about India not making it to the top. “Next week I have a performance in Melbourne. I advanced my trip so I could watch the finals live,” says Shetty, speaking to CE from Melbourne.
Though he confesses not to be a huge cricket fan, he wanted to witness the spectacle of a live match from the stadium. “I am not an ardent follower of sports but I know the craze behind it. It is a historically- significant match, so it would be fun for sure,” says Shetty, who is going to be accompanied by his wife.
Even many who are settled in Melbourne say that India’s exit from the tournament was not just disheartening for Indians but for Australians too. Nishakanth, who originally hails from Mangaluru and currently lives in Melbourne, says,
“Of course, as Indians, we wanted to see India in the finals and here on every radio station they were all rooting for the India-Pakistan match,” says the businessman. Just like any Indian, it is a tough choice for Nishikanth to choose who he is cheering for. “I am probably not going to cheer for any team for all the emotional reasons,” laughs Nishkanth, further adding, “Just watching the match at MCG is a treat in itself.”
RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY!
England and Pakistan could share the T20 World Cup trophy as rain threatens to play spoilsport in
the summit clash on Sunday as well as the reserve day at the MCG. Currently, there is a 95 per cent
chance of rain in Melbourne on Sunday, with up to 25mm predicted to fall. “Very high (near 100%)
chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm, possibly severe, with heavy falls possible,” a report
in ESPNCricinfo quoted the Bureau of Meteorology as saying.
Tournament rules for the final state that at least 10 overs a side are needed to constitute a knockout stage match. If rain prevents play on both days then England and Pakistan will be forced to share the trophy. “The first priority will be to complete a shortened match on Sunday if required, meaning the overs will be reduced before the reserve day is activated,” the report said. -