Thaindian News

Mumbai, April 2 (IANS) The tri-colour fluttered all around and people danced and blew horns to make for an electrifying atmosphere at the packed Wankhede Stadium during the cricket World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka here Saturday.

The Indian flag was omnipresent in all the galleries as cricket buffs who stood in queues for hours to enter the stadium lent full-throttled support to the Indian team, which made it to the big final after eight long years.

The 33,000-strong crowd also included several hundred Sri Lankan supporters who proudly waved the island nation’s Lion Flag, soaking in the mirth of the warm sunny afternoon with the mercury touching 30 degrees Celsius.

The spectators wore the tri-colour paint on their cheeks, some covered their heads with pieces of cloth and colourful turbans to protect themselves from the heat, and then there those who broke into impromptou jigs.

The ambience became all the more poignant when the national anthems of the two countries were played on the public address system. While the Sri Lankan anthem “Namo Namo Matha” saw the players and also the fans from the neighbouring nation join in the chorus, the entire stadium reverberated with the sweet and insipiring melody of the Indian anthem “Jana Gana Mana” that followed immediately after.

The Indian players from Sachin Tendulkar to Suresh Raina hummed the lines, composed by nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, alongside thousands in the stands.

A deafening roar greeted the fall of the first Sri Lankan wicket as Virender Sehwag threw himself on to the ground to lap up a low catch in Zaheer Khan’s fourth over.

A happy Sehwag stood up and made a high five with skipper M.S. Dhoni as the spectators seemed to go wild. There were Mexican waves every now and then as the revelers waved placards and seemed to be in a party mood.