Like every other cricket fan in this country, I found the schedule and ticket sales for this World Cup to be a shambles. The original ticket sales days came and went with the tickets "selling out" instantaneously. Luckily, after the embarrassment of the first few matches, BCCI in its infinite kindness decided to release some more, and I managed to get my hands on some for England vs South Africa here in Wankhede Stadium.
In the days leading up to the match, I made a "spotter's guide" for myself. Shirt numbers are not as important in cricket as they are in football, but for a fan in the stands, they are a great help.
Finally it was matchday, a Saturday. This was the first match in Mumbai (certainly a far more cricket-loving city than some of those already rewarded), so excitement was high. There were people buying Jos Buttler shirts on the foot-bridge over the western line. Several people appearing to be English nationals were coming into the gates with us, wearing a variety of jerseys including West Ham. After a walk, a comprehensive pat-down and a short flight of steps, we were in the stadium! Now, signs are allowed inside (RIP the one I couldn't take into Chepauk in 2011) but coins are not allowed. We found some seats not in the direct sunlight. Sam Curran and Moeen Ali were bowling on the practice pitches.
Soon it was toss time. Thanks to the spotter's guide and maybe a little help from the skin colour, I could tell it was Aidan Markram in the middle as SA's captain and not Temba Bavuma, who turned out to be unwell. England chose to field, which seemed brave given the heat. I suppose they thought dew would be a major factor. Spoiler: that's not how it turned out!
Lots of people can give better match reports than me, so I'll keep it brief. Quinton de Kock, stellar in this World Cup so far, fell on just the second ball. Reeza Hendricks (Bavuma's replacement - he later said he knew he would be playing barely minutes before the toss) and Rassie van der Dussen steadied the ship. Adil Rashid spun them both out in the middle overs. Heinrich Klaasen and Marco Jansen put on an electrifying show in the last ten overs, scoring some 150 runs to set an imposing target of 400.
Among casual cricket fans (I am probably one myself), the cheering was proportional to name-recognition. There was a lot of excitement for Ben Stokes' return to ODI cricket, and this inexplicable fandom for Buttler (who doesn't even play for MI). When de Kock fell and SA continued slowly for some overs, the crowd was unenthused. The bowlers Reece Topley and David Willey are not household names either. However, everyone loves big hits, and by the end, there were chants of "Klaasen, Klaasen!" in the cadence of "Sachin, Sachin!" (yes, the latter was chanted too during some slow periods). His century received a standing ovation.
Fielding near us for most of it was Harry Brook, who was mostly unmoved by people calling for him to wave. Once, when he made a rolling dive to save a four, people shouted "Oscar!" for his "acting". Only in the cheap seats!
Towards the end of the innings, it was Joe Root hanging out near us. He was much more receptive, giving us waves and smiles.
The heat was obviously taking a toll on the players. Willey abandoned one run-up and doubled over in fatigue. Klaasen had cramps and didn't run at the end, choosing to save his energy to smash the ball into the boundary instead. Brook near us was constantly hydrating. England as a team was wilting, and the task at hand was massive. Not to forget, they had just lost to Afghanistan, and were basically playing to stay in the tournament. After the break, Klaasen had earned his right to skip fielding for a while. The screen showed him in the dressing room, or was it a Roman bathhouse?
In the innings break I went outside to get some food. The scene outside was like a peak hour suburban train. Somehow I managed to get some boxes of fried rice and sauce. Actually there were a few different options, including pizza, and the value for money is far better than in a movie theatre or airport.
We were expecting the defending champions to put on a brave chase. Alas, it was not to be. Jonny Bairstow hit a skier that was caught by van der Dussen (near us!). Joe Root pushed one to leg slip, Malan was caught behind. Ben Stokes pulled a nice four near us, but gave Rabada a return catch soon after, and that was that. The pressure to get going immediately meant they were taking risks, which weren't paying off.
Before you knew it, England were 68/6. People began to leave, to beat the crowd. This included England fans, who were ushered out to sarcastic "England! England!" chants. They would miss a fun cameo by Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson, who rescued their team's NRR with some carefree hits. They took the score from 100 to 170. Topley injured his hand and couldn't bat, so there ended a massive 229-run defeat. Sadly what was billed as a heavyweight clash did not deliver.
Spectators seemed to have no less fun though. Some of the non-players also received hearty cheers. Former MI star JP Duminy is on the SA coaching staff. And of course, Harbhajan Singh, now a presenter, did a half-lap greeting everyone during the innings break.
The producers did their best to bring an Indian flavour to the crowd involvement. When the "Tabla cam" and "Sitar cam" are on you, you should mime playing that instrument. DJ had the best of Bollywood of the last decade along with a couple of Telugu megahits (guess which?). I think the players get to choose their "walkout music" when they come out to bat, in which case, 10/10 to Stokes for choosing Mr Brightside.
The only dampeners were the emcees on the big speakers. They clearly had poor knowledge of cricket, mispronounced several players' names (including Klaasen's, for the entire duration of his long innings. That might have been harder for him to bear than the heat.) At one point, loud boos filled the stadium as one said "Sri Lanka" instead of "South Africa".
Otherwise, it was a fun time. The neutral crowd appreciated good shots and good bits of fielding. Exiting was orderly. Now, time for the perfect way to seal a tough day for my vocal cords - ice-cream at Naturals on Marine Drive. And for the rest of the World Cup - India, India!
