India vs. Sri Lanka, 28th October 2006, Punjab Cricket Stadium, Mohali.
An experiance that I cherish...
It was the 28th of October 2006, we had a cricket match here at the Punjab Cricket Stadium, the PCA, Mohali between India and Sri Lanka. No no, this is not a cricket journal entry, nothing near the actual game, but more or a game of sorts that prevailed outside the stadium; That made this experiance all the more cherishable.
My school and tuition pals, Abhinav and Kartik being diehard cricket fanatics with me, made plans to see the said match in the stadium. The gilch was that we had just two tickets and the three of us. Our modus operandi was to smuggle the third of us inside the gates in the mayhem, that can be taken for granted to be prevelant, at the entrance.
We stood in the line at 2pm, in the wintery heat of the season. The Lank's were to be batting first at about 3 in the. When we joined in the 'line' we were at max 200m from the entrance gates. By 4pm, we seemed to have covered about the first 50 meters althought the number of people infront of us had swelled manifold. No. They did actually swell.
(Gosh, talk about over population)
And the 'icing on the cake' was the declaration by the PP (Punjab Police) at the gates, that the stadium was brim ful and no more spectators could enter.
Helllooo... WTF...!?!?!
We still have valid tickets here...???!!
It was time for us to rely on the world famous Punjabi technique of dhhaka. The three of us hatched a plan to get into the stadium either way it would have us to take it. We went to my place nearby to do a SWOT analysis. Come to think of it, we had been banged all over (no, not that) for two hours and hadn't yet seen a bowl being bowled.
We combined our cash resources to a total of Rs359 that could have been 'invested' in bribing come the need.
Before the start of the Indian batting innings we took to scaling the PCA walls. 10 feet tall with glass sharts embedded on the top. Moreover, not easy due to the omnipresence of the ruddy Punjab Police on horseback, with their, errrr, bludgers.
So we hid behind a tree and anticipated the oppertune moment to make the stealth move.
Kartik went up first, being light and agile he got up easily but carelessly got his index finger split by the glass chrades on the top of the wall. Remedial plan. Rush back home get some antiseptic stuff to reduce the damage on the other side of the wall, and hope it isn't all that bad.
Next, it was my turn. Being bulky and coarse I somehow got to the top of the wall, jumped down sans any cuts or scratches. Lucky me.
Last it was Abhinav. Light but careless he managed to scratch his way down with a good amout of scratched and bruises. Some of the antiseptic meant for Kartik was used for him.
Bottom line, we made it...!
Hey hang on. Not yet. The PP this side of the gate witnessed our drama, and in typical true to their nature types, thay witness all of us making the jump and them came running towards us. I guess what we has done was enough for them to realize that that was not their idea of how the spectators were to enter 'their zone'.
Two bull-dozers like bouncers rushed towards us with their bludgers aloft.
We dived away in three different directions and missed getting bludgeoned.
And finally we were in the stadium. Jam packed as it was described across the gates. But there's something about Indian Cricket Stadiums; there is always enought space for you if you have made it that far.
Well, we were settled down before the Indian innings started, at 7pm, and witnessed a spectacular display of batting led by none other than The Legend Tendulkar himself, as we steamrolled the Lankans.
After shouting our throats hoarse and jumping like wild, we finally made our way out of the PCA. Truely one of the experiances I'd always treasure; Not as much as for the sporting treat I witnessed than the resolute we had to watch the match come what may.
So much for the madness for the game.
