In the thick of it all…a taste of the real action….

What's your choice? Sitting in the cool comforts of your home, sipping fresh mango juice, chatting with friends and relatives and leisurely watching the cricket match telecast on TV, which gives replays from all possible angles… Or are you one of those who enjoy being in the thick of it all…. The vigil in the hot sun to buy the tickets, sweating it out in the queues, being lathi-charged by the police, part of the mob frenzy, contributing your share to the screaming and yelling… Getting a taste of the real action…

More than 45,000 cricket crazy fans chose the second option when India played against Australia recently in Bangalore in their first One Day International match in the Pepsi Cup-2001 series. And, as usual, the lush green outfield at the Chinnaswamy Stadium had no mercy for tired fielders and bowlers. Yet again, it turned out to be a batsman's paradise and bowler's graveyard. In the first innings, the hapless Australians were hammered for 315, which is one of the highest scores for India. It was quite surprising to see the team build up such a massive score, without any single batsman scoring a century. The second innings played in the night was equally dramatic. The gritty Australians put up a tough challenge before conceding defeat.

And what's it like to be physically present at a day and night match - body, heart, mind and soul - a part of the roaring crowd in the stadium? The feeling is beyond description. The passion, the excitement, the deafening noise… one needs to be there to experience the real thing! Faces painted with the colours of the flag, furious drum beating, ear shattering trumpets, booing the rival team, screaming for sixers, bottle throwing, mexican waves, bursting crackers, unruly crowd, angry policemen, oh! It is heaven!