The usually-bustling city wore a deserted look. All the markets from Lal Darwaza to Teen Darwaza also remained closed. The normally busy Relief Road resembled a ghost town.
World Cup excitement reached a feverish pitch on Wednesday as India and Pakistan played their semifinal match at Mohali. Though the match was played hundreds of miles away, the frenzy and preparations by Amdavadis was remarkable.
Half an hour before the match started, busy intersections like Shyamal Crossroads were crowded with vehicles. While some people were heading home from office, others were on their way to a friend's place or farmhouse to enjoy the match. But after 3:00 pm, the roads wore a deserted look with hardly any vehicle or people moving about.
The scenario was almost the same in the old city area too. All the markets from Lal Darwaza to Teen Darwaza were closed. Only small paan shops were doing business with men watching the match on the small TV sets. The 'always busy' Relief Road hardly had a soul.
Many party plots and farmhouses arranged for special viewing of the match. Aangan Banquet, Chandan Party Plot in Jodhpur and Abhishree Farm House on SG Highway were crowded during the evening. When India started scoring in the first few overs the crowd started assembling at Himalaya Mall where a huge LED screen had been installed and by 5:00pm, the number of cricket fans crossed 5,000. Also, the Kutchi Bhavan in Paldi had invited the youth of the community to enjoy the high-profile match on a big LED screen.
At Motera, where India beat against Australia last week in the quarterfinal, people gathered in large numbers to watch the live telecast of the Mohali match on a giant LED screen set up there. Residential societies like Sarjan Tower, Gurukul, and Surganga Complex, Jivraj Park, had put up LED screens for their residents in the society or parking lots.
Rajesh Vadera, a resident of Sarjan Tower said, "Our society members have set up this huge LED screen to enjoy the match together. More than 300 people have gathered to see the match."
Amid this frenzy, restaurants also tried to woo cricket crazy Amdavadis by offering special menus for the match. They did good business by providing a good ambience and serving special items like Tiranga Sabzi and World Cup Special Pulao and by giving special discounts.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}