BANGLA BEATS

Locals take sides
There weren't too many fans from India or Pakistan at the Sher-e-Bangla here on Friday. But it hardly mattered. The cricket-crazy Bangladeshis were happy to take sides. Some turned in up blue, some in green. So passionate were they that it didn't seem the match was being played at a 'neutral' venue. It seemed like an India-Pakistan match in Mohali or, for that matter, Lahore.

Students turn 'painters'
Shekhar and Zainulabdin are friends. They go to Dhaka University. When the lads heard of the Indo-Pak fixture, they did not shy away from making a quick buck. The idea was a smart one: they turned painters. Armed with a few bottles of water colour and brushes, they went about painting faces. "I am an engineering student and my friend studies business administration. Painting is our hobby, so we used this opportunity to show our passion and earn some money," Shekhar said. Smart thinking, that!

Dhoni & Co. turn up late
Given that they were about to face Pakistan, one expected the Indian team to arrive at the stadium well in advance. In fact, Mohammad Hafeez & Co. Pakistan turned up well in advance. They performed intense fitness drills before bowling and batting. However, the Indian boys turned up just an hour before the game. And guess what, they played football before doing a bit of running.