AHMEDABAD: As one approached the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday for the mammoth World Cup clash between India and Pakistan here, one saw a temperature monitor at an intersection. It read: Ahmedabad city 35, Narendra Modi Stadium 37.
It was obviously a mistake.
The temperature at the venue was several degrees Celsius higher. A sea of blue had descended at the venue well over three hours before the game. People travelling to the venue by their own vehicles, were stopping them by the roadside wherever they could see a jersey seller. Not just that, people, especially male fans, were seen removing their shirts and tees and changing into their blues on the roads.
The jerseys bearing Rohit 45 and Virat 18 seemed to have new competition. Gill 77.
Should we call it the Gujarat Titans effect?
Near the Metro Station close to the venue, a man with a cut out of Sunny Deol carrying a giant hammer from the poster of his latest Blockbuster Gadar 2 was spotted, bearing the words Hindustan Zindabad in Hindi.
It was enough to get the people around him super excited.
With 6000 uniform policemen on duty along with plain clothed security officials who will be in the crowd to prevent anything untoward from happening, it seemed like a cauldron.
One felt for the security men. After Saturday's high-pressure performance, they could do with a break. But it's Navratri time from Sunday and the city of Ahmedabad and the state of Gujarat will be buzzing with garba and dandiya nights.
As the planned musical programme began just a few metres away from the practice nets, Pakistan players seemed to have no distractions as they carried on with the warmups. Mohammad Rizwan, who has been in top form this year, walked past the practice nets to the main pitch, armed with his Graynicholls and visualized playing his favourite pull shot.
The Indian team soon sauntered in for their warm-ups as soon as Shankar Mahadevan finished crooning Sabse Aage Honge Hindustani which got the crowds in the stands jumping around.
Virat Kohli then began his stretches and as Sunidhi Chauhan started singing 'Aisa Jaadoo Daala Re', the ace batter fittingly began middling his throwdowns.
