Published: Feb 17, 2015, 12:13 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 17, 2015, 12:13 PM (IST)
Adelaide quietly packed up its things after the India-Pakistan party got over the last weekend at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. The focus now shifts to Melbourne, where India will play against South Africa on Sunday. Meanwhile, Nishad Pai Vaidya drove down from Adelaide to Melbourne. He writes about the experience and the cricketing hangover in his tour diary.
It all seemed like a blur back in Adelaide. The initial two quiet days were followed by two eventful ones. And then, there was a quiet one on Monday, almost as if everyone were packing up after a rocking party. Adelaide had come alive in those days, with swarms of India and Pakistan fans landing in the city. The roads were full, restaurants overwhelmed and the decibel levels up. But, things returned to normalcy on Monday as they all left for the next destination. India worked their way to Melbourne on Monday morning, while Pakistan headed to Christchurch. SCORECARD: India vs Pakistan ICC Cricket World Cup 2015
Things had gradually settled after the game on Sunday evening. The Swamy Army were out celebrating after the game, while other Indian groups also revelled in victory. Mohammad Basheer Bozai, the new chacha, is not heading to Christchurch, but is in fact going to Melbourne for the India-South Africa game. Chacha says, he will sport a shirt with MS Dhoni’s picture and not the usual India-Pakistan themed dress. Sudhir Kumar too would be making his way to Melbourne. The huge arena will play host to his conch and its war cries! READ: India-Pakistan fan clashes disappointing after the Adelaide camaraderie
Meanwhile, Gaurav Joshi and I decided to drive down to Melbourne and avoid flights. With the heavy demand, the rates had gone sky high. One of our friends had called from the airport, who said that it was full of Indians and Pakistanis, waiting to get to their next stops. Some of them had specially flown in for this game from all parts of the globe and were headed home. READ: India vs Pakistan, ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Our celebrations and your “kab phorengey”
As we drove through the A8 towards Melbourne, we could see many cars with Indians and Pakistanis. The Indians were still in the celebration mode, hanging the tri-colour outside their windows. Stop at any motel, and you would still see some wearing the India or the Pakistan jersey. In fact, at a local burger joint along the way, there were more subcontinental people than locals. That is proof of the rush towards Adelaide and back over the weekend.
The drive from Adelaide to Melbourne is an absolute pleasure. The nine-hours through the countryside were scenic. There were large farms, with sheep and bull grazing. Trees were lined up in a good file along the road. The vast open countryside got greener as we headed into Victoria from the South Australian border.
Along the way, there were a few cricketing landmarks. Firstly, we drove through the mining town of Ballarat. This town is about 100 kilometres from Melbourne and played host to an England-Sri Lanka encounter at the 1992 World Cup. Closer to Melbourne, we came across Bacchus Marsh. The former Australia wicketkeeper, Rodney Marsh, was nicknamed Bacchus after this town. 5 reasons why India dominated Pakistan for the sixth time in World Cup history
Melbourne and Adelaide are opposites. While Adelaide is laidback and quiet, Melbourne is fast. There was also a difference in weather. If Adelaide’s heat was intolerable, Melbourne welcomed you with a bit of chill, with the temperatures in the 20s. India will rest on Tuesday and resume practice at the Junction Oval on Wednesday. Now, they meet a team they have never defeated in the World Cup. A big challenge lies in store for them in Melbourne on Sunday.
(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and anchor for the site’s YouTube Channel. His Twitter handle is @nishad_45)
