At 10:30 p.m., where would you find 42,000 people shouting, making Mexican waves, beating empty plastic bottles and giving an impression as if it were 10:30 in the morning? Yes, you guessed it right! I am talking about the Chennai cricket crowd at Chepauk on January 25th 2002 where India was playing England. If there were a person who did not know the meaning of the word "enthusiasm" and how infectious it could get, one glimpse at this crowd would have sufficed! Excitement was in the air and it was spreading everywhere like a virus!

The best thing cricket lovers all over the world like about the Chennai cricket crowd is that they are a knowledgeable lot, who appreciate good sport. They cheer when a player hits a six, when a catch is taken, no matter whether he belongs to the Indian team or to the team playing opposite India. This is a really commendable trait.

There was also a cheering squad composed of a colourfully attired group, waving and cheering with pompoms in their hands. They kept at it all the time and it left us, the spectators, wondering who would cheer them up when they grew tired after all that waving under the hot sun. But they went on and on and on. Just above where they were standing was the giant score board that India had bought at the cost of Rs. 6 crores from Melbourne, Australia. There were advertisements shown on it just before the match started and in between too! Whenever a batsman hit a boundary or a six, it was shown very beautifully, and when a batsman got out it showed the sequence followed by a big "Howzzat?"

It was really interesting to see the people in the crowd. A middle-aged gentleman had come to watch the match with his 2 children - daughter and son. He had two charts on which was written his name (or probably his son's name) followed by "welcomes the Indian and English players." He had given one chart to his son and held the other one himself as he tried to get the attention of the cameraman stationed just above our stand. When he stood, nobody could see the pitch; some people begged and some people shouted at him to sit down. There was also this hungama of people of all ages - children, youngsters, middle-aged people and even some old gentlemen - throwing a lot of rockets, some of which found their way to the ground. Some cheered players who came near our stand by calling out their names. If the player turned to look at them, they would make rhythmic sounds with plastic bottles calling out their names in a musical tune.

Speaking about the match, India was playing fine till our main batsman got out. There was a lot of high drama in the match after our little master got out.

At this point, we need to understand the psychology of an average cricket fan in Chennai. He will cheer both sides, appreciate good sport and even give a standing ovation when a player of the opponent team retires to the pavilion after a great innings. But he wants India to win. If India does not win, he will go home very gloomy, sometimes skip dinner and talk the whole night about the turning points of the match, which, if properly handled would have turned the match in our favour.

So, it was quite natural that when we finally won, there was relief written on the faces of the spectators. I remembered the punch line of a popular ad: "Together we win, together India wins!" How true!!