The World Cup caravan may have moved on from Chennai but it has left behind what every cricket fan treasures — memories that will be exaggeratedly recalled in the years to come.
For P.C. Prakash, Tamil Nadu's batting coach, the decision to watch the action from an air-conditioned box made for a surreal experience.
“It was a little too silent for my liking,” he said. “Don't get me wrong, the seats were very comfortable, the food was great, and there was ample water, but I couldn't feel the atmosphere. It was like watching a giant TV screen on mute. Perhaps I should have been in one of the open stands.”
Still, Prakash, who attended three games, had plenty to savour.
“Jonathan Trott's batting was brilliant as was Chris Gayle's. (Andre) Russell's knock towards the end of the match against England really stood out although West Indies couldn't make it. Yuvraj (Singh) played an outstanding innings against West Indies as well. Unfortunately, I left mid-way during the England-South Africa match and missed all the excitement.”
Impressive debut
S. Sharath, one of the greats of domestic cricket, enjoyed Yuvraj's century but it was R. Ashwin's World Cup debut that impressed him the most. “To not have played any cricket and to straightaway bowl the first over under pressure isn't easy,” said Sharath, whose last year as a Tamil Nadu cricketer was Ashwin's first. “He handled the occasion superbly. I'm not surprised Ashwin has come so far. He's a very intelligent cricketer, and it's this cricket intelligence that's most important.”
Both Prakash and Sharath were enraptured by the changes that have been made to the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium — a ground on which both have played plenty of cricket. “It's changed totally; it looks like a beautiful monument now,” said Sharath.
“The charm of Chepauk is still there, the old memories are still there, but with the new stands, and the breeze coming through, it has become a more comfortable place.”
India games attract
Prakash did, however, make a perturbing observation. “Although Chepauk traditionally draws good crowds for cricket, it was obvious that only the India games attracted large numbers,” he said. “There's definitely a trend there. Only Twenty20 and perhaps good Test cricket are well-attended now. Unless something is done about the middle overs in one-day cricket, I feel it'll be phased out. It has become too predictable.”
The views of Dinesh Kumar, a 31-year-old businessman from Coimbatore, seem to confirm the trend. “I'd have preferred watching on TV,” he said. “From where I sat, near the mid-wicket boundary, it was difficult to make out what was happening and I often had to go by the crowd. Also, you have to queue in and out and it took hours, with all the checking. Nothing like switching your TV off when the match gets really boring.”
Sriram Ravichandran, a 28-year-old IT professional, had a different experience however. “With replays on the giant screens, you don't miss much of the action,” he said. “The heat makes it a little difficult in the afternoon, but it was quite pleasant in the evening. My friends say they caught me on TV as well, so that made my day pretty much.”
