Cricket: England India Internationals An Indian View

30 November -0001

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Of djinns, chillies, and rains in Guwahati

Cricket: (IANS) With rains threatening to play spoilsport the fifth India-England one-day international here Sunday, cricket fanatics are seeking the help of djinns and other supernatural forces to keep the showers at bay.

A group of young cricket buffs Saturday held an exotic ritual by planting red and green chillies on the ground outside the Nehru Stadium, the venue of the match.

"This ritual is being done to invoke some supernatural forces to help the rains away so that we get a full match," said Rabindra Basfor, a local youth who stays close to the stadium.

A few more were even prepared to hire a local occult practitioner to appease the rain god. "We were told there is a man nearby who can do wonders with the help of djinns. We are trying to locate him and if required ready to pull funds and pay him to do a miracle," another enthusiastic fan said.

Assam is witnessing heavy showers for the past six days although a spell of sunshine Saturday brought smiles to the fans here.

Officials glad at elections-ODI clash

The assembly elections in Assam have taken the shine away from the fifth one-dayer. But Assam Cricket Association (ACA) officials are happy -- not too many politicians were making requests for complimentary passes to enter the ground Sunday.

Most of the political leaders are busy for the second and final phase of voting Monday. But ACA officials are worried with the large number of media contingent seeking passes -- the capacity at the media box is about 80.

So far, at least 150 to 200 applications from various media organisations have reached the ACA for a seat in the press enclosure.

Long queues after sunshine

With a spell of bright sunshine blazing down after several days, ticket seekers were crowding the counters. Ticket counters in the last few days were deserted with people apprehensive that the rains would deprive them of a good game of cricket.

But things seemed to be changing for good for the ACA, which must be praying for an extended sunshine Sunday.

Thanks partly to the sunshine, the main city streets in Guwahati Saturday saw long tailback of vehicles with hundreds of people thronging outside the two hotels where the two teams have been lodged.

Photographers mistreated

Local photojournalists Saturday protested at the high handedness of the local police and the security officers of the English team who prevented them from either entering the hotels or taking pictures when the teams arrived at the airport.

The players were brought to the city in buses from the tarmac itself with the waiting photographers angry at not being allowed an opportunity to click pictures. A local photographer quipped: "Are we militants?"

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