The Mohali test started on the 1st of October. So we decided to go and see it live - most of my friends being the typical "True Indians", the kind that wouldn't miss such an opportunity for pool of the hottest girls in town (incase you are clueless about what i'm referring to, convince yourself that this write-up is not meant for you). It often strikes the people here as absurd - and a sign of unsound mental health - that despite being from Mumbai, I have NEVER seen a movie star - let alone watching the idols in action of this sacred religion of India. But that's how it is, i have never been to Wankhede or Brabourne, and i've never been purturbed by it.
We rose early after a late night on the 2nd, and reached the stadium at 7.30 in the morning, since we were going to buy the tickets at the stadium. What we discovered there was that though the day opens at 9.30, the ticket window doesn't open until 11.30. And nobody there actually knew where the tickets are sold out of the 14-odd gates. After roaming around for sometime trying to find out how to get in, we discovered that getting out was easy - run into the stadium security. We were literally pushed out of the stadium vicinity. The stadium security personnel behave with a grandeur that only befits kings - amused i checked their name tags, discovered that they were all Singhs! (there was one guy who was a Kumar, but there wasn't anything grand about him, really). With great effort we managed to get the tickets. Finally we got to watch the match!
There was pure cricket going on on the field, bowling, batting, fielding. But what really stole the show was the sense of humor of the stadium officials. The people of the stadium appear to derive considerable pleasure from locking away the gents' lavatory in the chair block of the stadium. But they are not unmindful of the fact that "nature calls to everyone". So they advise all men faced with the call to rest assured and freely use the Ladies' room, which is all really applaudable about them.
But all in all, the stadium is actually great: if you are a player (if you're not, rather stay at home and have a gin and tonic - a glass of barley water incase you are a teetotaler).
N.B. You would also find the stadium great if you were really shameless, as in the kind that would use the Ladies' room..
