Mumbai in the grip of World Cup mega-thriller

India-Pakistan, World Cup semifinal, the last stop on the road to Mumbai. With the two arch-rivals engaged in a titanic battle to reach the final destination, the host city of the title clash was engrossed in the game at Mohali. A stroll in any part of the city would have revealed that it was anything but an ordinary Wednesday.

In Colaba, venues like Sports Bar were reserved for cricket buffs. Woodside Inn, however, was fairly empty during lunch hour. Whoever walked in, the first question they would be asked was “Are you screening the match today?” “No” was the response from the management.

One could not fail to observe that many Mumbaikars were supporting their team by wearing any shade of blue.

If this was the scenario before the game started, it was a completely different scene around six in the evening. One would expect the trains as well the stations to be deserted. But such was not the case. The Churchgate station was buzzing with people, who were running to catch the train. With so much movement at the station, the traffic on the roads was a different picture. There were no cabs outside the station and the normal work-hour traffic was missing on the city roads. The buses, that are usually filled with people trying to get a foot space, were missing on Wednesday.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus was rather more crowded than the Churchgate station.

The outgoing trains were packed with people and the women, in their compartment, talked about their daily mundane routine and seemed oblivious to the ongoing semifinal.

Shivaji Park, which is usually buzzing with cricketing activity, had just one match going on at 1.30pm. By 6pm it wore a deserted look with the only people present being the senior citizens in the Aaji Ajoba Udyan.

However, cricket and Shivaji Park are inseparable. Just 100 metres away from the ground, at the chowk on Keluskar road, hundreds thronged to watch the game on a giant screen. It was like a trailer of what might be coming on Saturday at the Wankhede, a perfect simulation of the North Stand. A majority of the viewers were dressed in India kits or were brandishing the tricolour. The commentary, which was being played on loud- speakers, was drowned by the defining chants of Bharat Mata Ki Jai, Ganpati Bappa Moriya.