The friendly ‘battle’ within a ‘war’
India and Sri Lanka are not just fighting it out on the field at Wankhede. A frenzied ‘war’ is being fought off it as well in the stands.
By Abhideep Das in MumbaiThe ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 final between India and Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai has attracted people from all over the world.
While majority of people in the stands are supporting the host nation, a handful of Lankans are present as well to add to the atmosphere.
I met some of them. Twenty-six year old Dilshan (Yes Dilshan!) has flown down from Australia to support his team. His mother is also there alongside him in the ‘Sachin Tendulkar’ stand. She has come down from England.
Speaking on the atmosphere inside the stadium, Dilshan said, “It simply cannot get bigger than this. A World Cup final is worth flying down for, more so since Sri Lanka is here. I hope they win but even if that doesn’t happen, I will remember this event for the rest of my life.”
Dilshan has a lot of other friends for company as well in the same stand. Waving the Lankan flags with passion and fervor, they are having a jolly good time taking a dig at the overwhelming majority of Indian fans. But what is heartwarming, is that all the banter is in friendly nature without any hint of jingoistic nationalism attached to it.
“We are here to support our nation. But the important thing is the best team should win,” says another Lankan fan.
It is not just that only Sri Lankans have flown down here. A large expatriate Indian population from places like Dubai and South Africa are here as well. There are also some Englishmen and die-hard Hashim Amla fans from South Africa in the stands.
Mumbai, as a city, has always been known for its cosmopolitan culture with people from different parts of India coming to pursue their dreams here. Currently, ‘Maximum City’ is the cosmopolitan capital of the world as people from all walks of life across cultures and nations celebrate one of the most momentous events in cricketing history.
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