Wilting under Wankhede woes, weather

Mumbai Police and the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) should thank their luck if the ongoing second India-England cricket Test ends without any blemish of spectator riot.

Several times on Saturday morning, as inordinate delays in admission trapped thousands of irate spectators with legitimate tickets in extremely long queues (whose beginnings and ends were not easily discernible), the scene seemed touch and go.

Every time a roar erupted inside the stadium, suggesting Indian batsmen were flourishing early morning, frustration and anger soared among ticket-holders outside at being deprived the pleasure of soaking in all that action.

For the record, I materialised well before 9 am, hoping to watch Cheteshwar Pujara, the new Indian batting sensation, live in action. (Woke up to my bedside mobile alarm at 6 am, having reached home after Friday's work well past midnight.) And I thought I could even get lucky and watch both the teams in the dying minutes of their net practice. Wishful thinking.

The serpentine queue for daily tickets stretching all the way from the stadium counter beyond Churchgate station was an early sign that sizable crowds are likely for the weekend cricket action. But then, I had a season ticket, so entry should be quick and easy, I presumed. Tough luck.

Figuring out the queue for the gates leading to the Tendulkar stand took quite an effort. Clear signage and other guidance were, well, non-existent. And then started what turned out to be a 'queueathon'.

Somewhere on the Marine Drive, I joined the queue around 9:05. The line coursed  its way into a bylane, took a U-turn and popped back on to Marine Drive. And it moved at less than snail's (or, shall we say, Zaheer Khan's) pace.

Young couples with infant offspring in their arms, 70-plus British reds (Mumbai's heat ensured they were no longer 'white'), tykes, and other assorted Mumbaikars – all die-hard cricket connoisseurs – endured the seemingly never-ending pain and humiliation at the hands of the MCA.

Neither the cops nor the MCA communicated the reasons for the delay. It would have been proper on the part of the MCA to display some courtesy and compassion, and supply sealed plastic cups of drinking water for the spectators.

“This can happen only in India,” cried the 30-plus man behind me, admittedly a cricket nut. “Horrible, appalling, terrible, idiotic...” negative adjectives came thick and fast. Speculation ensued. “This is what happens if you outsource every task and screw up on logistics. I bought my ticket online, and look, in spite of seat number and all, I am still not in there.”

Others, too, pitched in, as conversation spread like a contagion through the long-winding line. “Had a cricketer such as Dilip Vengsarkar been at the MCA helm, this wouldn't have happened,” said one.

“Total mismanagement.”

“Absolutely no sense of anticipation and advance planning.”

“All the experts bemoan that Test cricket is dying for lack of spectator support. And look how they treat spectators when they turn out in thousands for a Test.”

“The cricket economy depends on spectators and viewers. But they are the ones who get the least respect.” 

And so the whining went on until 10:30. (Please note: I was in the queue for a good (?), hot 90 minutes!) Others' wait might have stretched to a couple of hours.

By the time, I sunk into my seat, it was already the first drinks interval. I missed Ashwin's dismissal and much of Pujara's batting. India folded up pretty quickly after that. Disappointed on all fronts!
 
What might have caused the long delay in letting in spectators, I asked Maruti Sangle, the police sub-inspector sitting next to me. Any major problem?

 “Well, if there are thousands of spectators, the queue is going to be long, isn't it? Long queues take time.” Oh, well said.

Actually, thousands of spectators were funneled into a trickle, a single file, to be frisked individually, thoroughly, before being let in.

Good security, bad idea. For, multiple entry points to each stand were the need of the hour.

“The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) can take in nearly a lakh in no time. Can't understand why a few thousands here should be a problem,” said one spectator.

“Cricket-wise, Mumbaikars are  the most informed crowd. They are also the most well-behaved. They are here to enjoy cricket. All this excessive security is not essential.”

“Owing to the residential buildings around the stadium, inlets here are few and far between,” said another observant visitor. “Wonder why they (the MCA) didn't look into all these aspects at the time of rebuilding the stadium for  last year's World Cup. Who cares for spectators anyway?”

Well, speaking live on All India Radio's Hindi commentary on the first day's play on Friday, a cricket administrator claimed that the MCA has provided wonderful facilities for the spectators, to make the stadium visit a beautiful experience.

I can vouch he lied through his teeth. The toilets with their all-wet floors and all-full wash basins... oh let it be. The 'bucket seats' and aisles were so cramped that deep vein thrombosis appeared a real possibility.

Postscript: if you are headed to the Wankhede for Sunday's play, be there as early as possible. Or walk in after lunch. The Saturday evening queues for tickets were long, very long. A packed house is likely, if there is no riot before that, that is.