Mayhem, chaos as Indian team arrives at city hotel

NEW DELHI: A struggling media crew eager to record the moment for posterity, frenzied fans jostling to get a glimpse of the players and security personnel pushing them behind the ropes, was what caught the eye at a city hotel where the Indian cricket team stayed for a short while here on Thursday.

It was difficult to judge whether hundreds of fans, who had thronged the hotel area waving small Indian flags, outnumbered the media personnel or vice versa.

The cricketers, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, got down from the bus to the tunes played by band musicians, who were waiting outside the hotel entrance since morning.

In the hotel lobby, players were accorded a traditional welcome as players were garlanded and a 'tilak' put on their foreheads.

As soon as the players entered the lobby, event managers and Delhi Police swung into action not allowing any media personnel to break the human chain formed by them.

The pleas of media people asking for access to get better shots fell on deaf ears.

Media men returned disappointed as they could not even see the cutting of the cake, which was held at the far end of the lobby.

"It is disgraceful to be recognised as a journalist here," fumed a very senior journalist.

Team manager Bimal Soni thanked all the fans for the overwhelming welcome.

"On behalf of the Indian team, I thank all the people, and am grateful to all those who have come here," Soni said as players left without speaking to reporters.