Cricket, Live!

Water problems in Chennai are nothing new but certainly not of the kind we are facing of late. The skies have simply opened up and suddenly we find that a parched city is reeling under floods. The BCCI also seems to have been caught unawares (??) and the fourth successive match at the MAC Stadium was washed out (well, as good as!). However, there was a day of pointless play and after a lot of deliberation and yes-no yes-no yes-no sessions with myself, I decided that I had to be at Chepauk on Tuesday. Expecting a long queue for daily tickets (I came back home without tickets the last time I was there), I told myself that I would sacrifice a few snores and get my ass to the stadium well in advance.

Dutifully, I set three alarms to ring in succession within a few minutes of each other to ensure that I would not doze away. This tactic worked satisfactorily and I found myself leaving home as early as 6.00 AM. By 6.40, I had my first ever experience with the Chennai Mass Rapid Transport System, more commonly called MRTS or locally, 'Parakkum Rail', the train which flies (Unfortunately, it flies almost entirely over the Cooum and/or Buckingham Canal with their own characteristic stimuli to the nasal cavity). Though it was obvious that not many people patronized this system, I found the station well designed and well maintained. I purchased a one way ticket from a grumpy and disinterested clerk and was forced to wait for almost half an hour.The station was absolutely deserted, there was not a soul in sight. For lack of anything better to do, I decided to walk around. I noticed working elevators, working escalators, working display boards, working everything, the only thing lacking being people to use these. By 7.00, a train pulled in to the platform. I got into the first compartment and when the train left a few minutes later, I was struck by the fact that I was the sole occupant of the whole carriage!! As the train pulled out, I marveled, as I had many times in the past, at the sheer acceleration of these rakes. We were up to speed in no time and within six minutes, I had covered what would take atleast four to five times as much on the road, to arrive at the Chepauk railway station. I exited the station and was thrilled to find that I had landed right at the gates of he stadium.

When I got to the ticket counter, I was slightly anxious to see that there was nobody around. Where were the people? the queues? the plastic whistle vendors? the guy with flags in all shapes and sizes? What was happening? Soon, I realised that this was not going the way I thought it would. The feverish excitement of a cricket match was missing. Nobody seemed to give a damn. I was informed that the counters would open only at 8.15 after an initial pitch inspection.I was right at the head of the queue. Finally, after an interminable wait and my purse lighter by a hundred and fifty rupees, I entered the hallowed premises of the MAC stadium, Chepauk. To my dismay, I found that most of the stadium was empty as well. I told myself that it would fill in slowly as Sachin moved closer to his record breaking 35th century. It was not to be. Sachin got out cheaply and the rest of them followed like nine pins. The ground remained half-empty. The Indian attack started off well but strayed off course soon. The proceedings became monotonous and the captains reached a gentlemanly agreement to get back to their hotels an hour in advance. Arun Lal as usual headed a lacklustre presentation ceremony (which I couldn't see from my stand anyway) and then it was all over. I must admit, however, that all this had not prevented me from screaming my head off for every trivial incident on the field! I could hardly talk at the end of the day. In fact, even as I write this more than 24 hours later, I still have a sore throat!!

I got back to the railway station with a sore backside, a hoarse throat, a groaning stomach (the food at the stand was pathetic to say the least) and aching legs, but in some corner of my mind, feeling good about the whole thing! The train on the way back was again quick and efficient. I am now a fan of the local train system and have decided to patronize it whenever I can. It has the potential to mitigate, if not completely solve, the growing traffic problems of our city. I suggest you try it too.....