Darpan Singh, Agra
Nearly four years ago, when Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav issued instructions making use of Kulhars mandatory for serving tea and coffee in pantry cars and railway stalls, the impoverished potter community, facing an uncertain future with dwindling demands for their traditional craft, was ecstatic. But as they failed to benefit from the much-hyped announcement over the years, a sense of disappointment has replaced the euphoria.
Ramesh (60), a potter at Agra, said, “I frantically tried to contact the officials of the Agra Rail Division seeking to supply kulhars, but nobody is willing to entertain me. I have given up.” Ramesh is not the sole instance. Many others like him faced the same situation as they are required to have a PAN card and a current account in a nationalised bank to be able to make supplies to the Railways — criteria not many poor potters can meet. The Railways makes payment through cheques after deducting 2 per cent tax and 12 per cent surcharge on the total tender value directly to the supplier's bank account number. Caught in a red tape, the whole scheme has come a cropper.
A visit to different railway stations under the Agra Rail Division revealed that vendors were using ‘kulhars' only as a show piece', selling tea either in paper or plastic cups. Sumit Kumar, a vendor, said selling tea in kulhars cost more, much to the dislike of customers. He said many customers did not want to have tea in `kulhars' on hygiene Grounds and added many people disliked drinking tea in `kulhars' out of prestige and insisted on paper cups. Said a passenger, “It's not easy to drink from earthen pots, mainly because companies have not been advertising that way.”
Admitting lapses at some places, a railway official said more focused efforts were needed to popularise `kulhars'. He said while the licensed vendors more or less stuck to `kulhars', unauthorised vendors were the main defaulters. This, despite the fact that railway laws recommend a fine ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 500 to any licensed vendor selling tea in containers other than `kulhars.' Though the DRM could not be contacted, Rail Division PRO Bhupendra Dhillon Told HT on Saturday, “I cannot say anything on the supply of kulhars as the process is managed by the Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) and the rail division has nothing to do with it.” No IRCTC official was available for comment.
The Agra Rail Division needs lakhs of kulhars a month but it ends up using only a few thousands as vendors continue to use plastic cups. There is no increase in demand for them as plastic or paper cups are available in plenty at cheaper rates. Since the demand for kulhars had been dwindling for quite some time, potters depend on the sale of earthen pitchers and flower pots for livelihood. They had hoped that the big demand generated by the railways would tremendously boost sales of their wares, but to no avail.
Another potter, Jayanti (25), said, “When we informed the officials that we did not have a PAN card, we were told to contact middlemen so that we could supply through them.” Potters here feel that the announcement was mere an eyewash, meant only to benefit big traders and middlemen. Making matters worse is the widespread ignorance. A number of potters HT spoke to said, “We do not know whom to approach to make supply.” They feel that Lalu’s instructions were actually implemented — part of the reason why their sale failed to pick up. Even as there has been hardly any increase kullhar prices, scarcity of soil and fuel has only added to their woes.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Gujjar stir hits Agra tourism hard
Darpan Singh, Agra
The nearly month-long Gujjar agitation in Rajasthan, which came to an end on Wednesday last, took a heavy toll on the Rs 2,200 crore tourism industry in Agra. The number of domestic tourists visiting the city came down drastically during the period. However, there was not much change in numbers as far as foreigners are concerned, sources in the State Tourism Department told HT on Friday.
In May this year, only 2,45,082 domestic tourists visited Agra, while the number for the same period in 2007 stood at 3,01,479. According to official figures, the last few days of the month were the worst hit which made all the difference. Incidentally, things were looking up for the tourism industry with the number of tourists visiting Agra was on the rise during the past three years.
The tourism industry lost revenue worth Rs two crore and the Taj Mahal alone suffered a loss of lakhs of rupees as sale of tickets, mandatory for entering the complex, dipped. During the 26 day of agitation, nearly 70 per cent bookings were cancelled and occupancy in hotels came down to as low as 30 per cent. As foreign tourists plan their tours in advance, there was not much scope for alteration and they suffered the most.
During the period, movement of trains on the Agra-Jaipur section remained suspended and passengers were held up at Agra railway stations and roadways bus stands. Making matters worse, transport companies in Agra refused to book consignments for Rajasthan. Scores of trains were diverted from Agra and Mathura. Over a dozen goods trains with perishable commodities remained stranded on the western route causing a huge loss.
The Gujjar agitation disrupted the traffic movement between Agra and Jaipur leading to tourists being held up here. Hundreds of tourists and pilgrims planning to visit Rajasthan were held up at Mathura, Firozabad and various stations or bus stands here. Rakesh Chauhan, president of the Agra Hotels and Restaurants Association, told reporters, “Tourism in the golden triangle has been badly hit,”
However, a section of tour operators in the city believe that the number of foreign tourists may not have gone up but the duration of their stay in Agra has definitely increased. A tour operator said, “The famous Golden Triangle (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur), a short-break tourist itinerary for North India, covers two major destinations: Agra (Taj Mahal, Agra Fort) and Jaipur (Forts and Palaces) along with Delhi. This most visited Itinerary in India by overseas tourists was badly hit and the conventional chain was broken.” According to him, because of this, foreigners chose to stay at Agra for longer durations.
Data obtained from the Tourist Department suggests that Spanish tourists have been quite keen on visiting the city of late. Said an official, “A good number of Spanish groups are coming but the number is still less than the last year’s figures. However, the duration of their stay has definitely gone up.” According to him, bookings of European tourists may go up by 15 per cent this season.
Meanwhile, the Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has completed its survey and will soon start work on lighting up the Taj Mahal’s surroundings in Mughlai theme with solar lights. The State Tourism Department has already allocated a sum of Rs 2 crore for the purpose. Official sources said that as part of the project, a food plaza similar to Delhi Hatt will also be set up to draw more visitors.
The nearly month-long Gujjar agitation in Rajasthan, which came to an end on Wednesday last, took a heavy toll on the Rs 2,200 crore tourism industry in Agra. The number of domestic tourists visiting the city came down drastically during the period. However, there was not much change in numbers as far as foreigners are concerned, sources in the State Tourism Department told HT on Friday.
In May this year, only 2,45,082 domestic tourists visited Agra, while the number for the same period in 2007 stood at 3,01,479. According to official figures, the last few days of the month were the worst hit which made all the difference. Incidentally, things were looking up for the tourism industry with the number of tourists visiting Agra was on the rise during the past three years.
The tourism industry lost revenue worth Rs two crore and the Taj Mahal alone suffered a loss of lakhs of rupees as sale of tickets, mandatory for entering the complex, dipped. During the 26 day of agitation, nearly 70 per cent bookings were cancelled and occupancy in hotels came down to as low as 30 per cent. As foreign tourists plan their tours in advance, there was not much scope for alteration and they suffered the most.
During the period, movement of trains on the Agra-Jaipur section remained suspended and passengers were held up at Agra railway stations and roadways bus stands. Making matters worse, transport companies in Agra refused to book consignments for Rajasthan. Scores of trains were diverted from Agra and Mathura. Over a dozen goods trains with perishable commodities remained stranded on the western route causing a huge loss.
The Gujjar agitation disrupted the traffic movement between Agra and Jaipur leading to tourists being held up here. Hundreds of tourists and pilgrims planning to visit Rajasthan were held up at Mathura, Firozabad and various stations or bus stands here. Rakesh Chauhan, president of the Agra Hotels and Restaurants Association, told reporters, “Tourism in the golden triangle has been badly hit,”
However, a section of tour operators in the city believe that the number of foreign tourists may not have gone up but the duration of their stay in Agra has definitely increased. A tour operator said, “The famous Golden Triangle (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur), a short-break tourist itinerary for North India, covers two major destinations: Agra (Taj Mahal, Agra Fort) and Jaipur (Forts and Palaces) along with Delhi. This most visited Itinerary in India by overseas tourists was badly hit and the conventional chain was broken.” According to him, because of this, foreigners chose to stay at Agra for longer durations.
Data obtained from the Tourist Department suggests that Spanish tourists have been quite keen on visiting the city of late. Said an official, “A good number of Spanish groups are coming but the number is still less than the last year’s figures. However, the duration of their stay has definitely gone up.” According to him, bookings of European tourists may go up by 15 per cent this season.
Meanwhile, the Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has completed its survey and will soon start work on lighting up the Taj Mahal’s surroundings in Mughlai theme with solar lights. The State Tourism Department has already allocated a sum of Rs 2 crore for the purpose. Official sources said that as part of the project, a food plaza similar to Delhi Hatt will also be set up to draw more visitors.
Agra tourist PS in a shambles
Darpan Singh, Agra
Irony could not be starker. This is the only police station in the whole of Agra which is supposed to deal with complaints of foreign tourists, but it is itself, like most of the other PSs in the Uttar Pradesh, grappling with problems which are too ‘local’ in nature. The staff can easily be seen struggling to deal with tourists; with hardly any resources at their disposal. The sight of a cop drowned in a dictionary while interacting with foreigners does not give one the typical feel of a PS.
The Agra Tourism Police Station was set up in haste on September 25 last year; a few days after two Japanese tourists were allegedly raped in a hotel under Tajganj police station of Agra resulting in a big controversy. The State DGP inaugurated it amid much promise after he and the Director General of Tourism came to the city to take stock of the situation arising out of the rape controversy. However, a visit to the PS reveals that it lacks some of the most basic infrastructure and the promise has not been kept.
There is no phone connection, not to speak of Internet/fax facilities. It is hard to understand as to how these cops source and send information related to foreigners and places located abroad during investigation. In the name of hospitality, it has hardly anything to boast of; even drinking water has to be arranged from nearby. Confirming these constraints, SHO Santosh Singh told HT, “A request for a phone connection had been made sometime back. Nothing has been done so far.”
According o Singh, the PS has to ‘generate its own resources’ when it comes to procuring refreshment for foreigners. He said, “They (the tourists) do not settle with anything less than packaged drinking water. Though there are no funds for these purposes, you have to arrange for it.” Lack of knowledge of foreign languages is another hurdle. Singh said, “Some staff from the Tourism Department do chip in, but that does not solve our problem entirely.” On his part, the SHO showed the visitors’ register in which he had been repeatedly thanked for cooperation.
Last month, Chief Minister Mayawati came to Agra and announced a package of Rs 5 crore for a new air conditioned building of the PS and other infrastructure at Tajganj Phase II. Land for the purpose has already been acquisitioned. A new building of Tajganj police station is also proposed there. Maps have been prepared and the budget passed, but construction, which will be done by the State Housing Board, is yet to start. When contacted by the HT on Thursday, the Agra DIG refused to admit that there was any problem at the PS. He said, “The PS is in the process of establishment. Even otherwise, the SSP office has all the necessary resources.”
Cops at the PS told this correspondent that the sanctioned strength of policemen (1 SHO, 3 SIs, 3 head constables and 14 constables) was not adequate as their area of jurisdiction was quite big. A cop said, “Any incident involving a foreigner, which takes place anywhere in Agra, has to be dealt with by us. It’s quite unmanageable for the current strength.” He said more out-posts should be set up under the PS to ease the pressure.
After the rape case, about 30 cases have been registered here so far. Of them, 25 have been disposed of and investigation is on in the rest five. A senior cop at PS said, “The district is quite big in area and foreigners tend to roam about till late in the night which, at times, leads to minor case.” He, however, said they could not be blamed for the same as this is what he came here for. According to him, special funds and basic infrastructure were a must to show hospitality and be friendly with tourist victims.
Irony could not be starker. This is the only police station in the whole of Agra which is supposed to deal with complaints of foreign tourists, but it is itself, like most of the other PSs in the Uttar Pradesh, grappling with problems which are too ‘local’ in nature. The staff can easily be seen struggling to deal with tourists; with hardly any resources at their disposal. The sight of a cop drowned in a dictionary while interacting with foreigners does not give one the typical feel of a PS.
The Agra Tourism Police Station was set up in haste on September 25 last year; a few days after two Japanese tourists were allegedly raped in a hotel under Tajganj police station of Agra resulting in a big controversy. The State DGP inaugurated it amid much promise after he and the Director General of Tourism came to the city to take stock of the situation arising out of the rape controversy. However, a visit to the PS reveals that it lacks some of the most basic infrastructure and the promise has not been kept.
There is no phone connection, not to speak of Internet/fax facilities. It is hard to understand as to how these cops source and send information related to foreigners and places located abroad during investigation. In the name of hospitality, it has hardly anything to boast of; even drinking water has to be arranged from nearby. Confirming these constraints, SHO Santosh Singh told HT, “A request for a phone connection had been made sometime back. Nothing has been done so far.”
According o Singh, the PS has to ‘generate its own resources’ when it comes to procuring refreshment for foreigners. He said, “They (the tourists) do not settle with anything less than packaged drinking water. Though there are no funds for these purposes, you have to arrange for it.” Lack of knowledge of foreign languages is another hurdle. Singh said, “Some staff from the Tourism Department do chip in, but that does not solve our problem entirely.” On his part, the SHO showed the visitors’ register in which he had been repeatedly thanked for cooperation.
Last month, Chief Minister Mayawati came to Agra and announced a package of Rs 5 crore for a new air conditioned building of the PS and other infrastructure at Tajganj Phase II. Land for the purpose has already been acquisitioned. A new building of Tajganj police station is also proposed there. Maps have been prepared and the budget passed, but construction, which will be done by the State Housing Board, is yet to start. When contacted by the HT on Thursday, the Agra DIG refused to admit that there was any problem at the PS. He said, “The PS is in the process of establishment. Even otherwise, the SSP office has all the necessary resources.”
Cops at the PS told this correspondent that the sanctioned strength of policemen (1 SHO, 3 SIs, 3 head constables and 14 constables) was not adequate as their area of jurisdiction was quite big. A cop said, “Any incident involving a foreigner, which takes place anywhere in Agra, has to be dealt with by us. It’s quite unmanageable for the current strength.” He said more out-posts should be set up under the PS to ease the pressure.
After the rape case, about 30 cases have been registered here so far. Of them, 25 have been disposed of and investigation is on in the rest five. A senior cop at PS said, “The district is quite big in area and foreigners tend to roam about till late in the night which, at times, leads to minor case.” He, however, said they could not be blamed for the same as this is what he came here for. According to him, special funds and basic infrastructure were a must to show hospitality and be friendly with tourist victims.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
‘If you cannot beat them, join them’
Let down by Team India, fans cheer for Proteas
Darpan Singh. Motera
(April)
After Sehwag’s heroics at Chennai where he put SA bowlers to sword, bludgeoning his way to a record 319, cricket buffs were expecting another good show if not a complete run feast. After having won the toss and elected to bat first, Team India would not have thought the much-vaunted line-up would be skittled in just 20 overs on a pitch which was not spiteful at all and they would have to bowl to SA openers before lunch.
And the crumbling of Indian batsmen was so swift that they appeared too shocked to react. Rajesh Patel, a college student, who had the Indian tricolour painted on his face before he left his house for the venue, looked disappointed. He said, “This team is consistently inconsistent. How can someone explain this dismal performance of a line-up which has been often touted as one of the best in the world? It was soft dismissal for most of the batsmen, barring Rahul Dravid, as the ball was not doing much. It marred my day.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Rani Parekh, an IT professional, said, “I left my home when the Indian innings had just started. On reaching the venue, I saw S Sreesanth batting. It was a rude shock. They could have put up a lot better performance, had there been even the slightest of application on their part. All the preparations to cheer and support Team India went in vain, it’s really frustrating.”
Some spectators said there was no point in braving such a hostile weather and spending money if we had to see the team being sent packing even before lunch. A couple, which had come all the way from Jaipur to watch the match, said, “Though we follow Indian cricket religiously, it’s difficult to recall a batting performance which can be termed poorer than this.”
However, some of them did find a way to make the most of the money and time they spent at Motera, cheering for SA bowlers who looked in astonishing hurry to bundle out the Indian innings. Raju Das, who was leading such a group, said, “Our motto is: if you cannot beat them, join them. Even otherwise, one must appreciate good cricket.” They booed Indian bowlers and applauded Proteas as and when they hit boundaries and stole quick singles. Having said that, we all know that cricket is a game of glorious uncertainty. With four days’ play still left, one can only hope that the gloom does not last for long!
A promise not kept
While returning to the dressing room after having bowled a couple of overs in the SA first innings, all players, barring S Sreesanth, looked crestfallen. When a scribe told him it was poor show as hardly any batsmen fell to a peach of a delivery, the maverick pacer nodded and went on to promise that he would make up for bad performance and take a five-wicket haul. He, however, failed to keep his promise, at least on Day One, but did look dejected when Ganguly grassed a chance at short leg off Sreesanth when Smith was on just 2, only to break into a jig before the crowds in his own inimitable style later on. .
Some batting practice this
Even as Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn scythed through the batting order and India slumped to their second-lowest total on home soil, mood in the dressing room was that of gloom. However, two batsmen, who were not part of the playing eleven, were seen sweating it out in the nets getting some batting practice. A few local bowlers braved the extremely hot and humid conditions, bowling to comeback man Kaif and southpaw Yuvraj Singh. Earlier, it was expected that one of them would replace ‘Master Blaster’ Sachin Tendulkar but local lad Irfan Pathan managed to make it to the final eleven. As a spectator remarked, “The duo seemed to be giving vent to their frustration, hitting cracking shots in the nets.”
Darpan Singh. Motera
(April)
After Sehwag’s heroics at Chennai where he put SA bowlers to sword, bludgeoning his way to a record 319, cricket buffs were expecting another good show if not a complete run feast. After having won the toss and elected to bat first, Team India would not have thought the much-vaunted line-up would be skittled in just 20 overs on a pitch which was not spiteful at all and they would have to bowl to SA openers before lunch.
And the crumbling of Indian batsmen was so swift that they appeared too shocked to react. Rajesh Patel, a college student, who had the Indian tricolour painted on his face before he left his house for the venue, looked disappointed. He said, “This team is consistently inconsistent. How can someone explain this dismal performance of a line-up which has been often touted as one of the best in the world? It was soft dismissal for most of the batsmen, barring Rahul Dravid, as the ball was not doing much. It marred my day.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Rani Parekh, an IT professional, said, “I left my home when the Indian innings had just started. On reaching the venue, I saw S Sreesanth batting. It was a rude shock. They could have put up a lot better performance, had there been even the slightest of application on their part. All the preparations to cheer and support Team India went in vain, it’s really frustrating.”
Some spectators said there was no point in braving such a hostile weather and spending money if we had to see the team being sent packing even before lunch. A couple, which had come all the way from Jaipur to watch the match, said, “Though we follow Indian cricket religiously, it’s difficult to recall a batting performance which can be termed poorer than this.”
However, some of them did find a way to make the most of the money and time they spent at Motera, cheering for SA bowlers who looked in astonishing hurry to bundle out the Indian innings. Raju Das, who was leading such a group, said, “Our motto is: if you cannot beat them, join them. Even otherwise, one must appreciate good cricket.” They booed Indian bowlers and applauded Proteas as and when they hit boundaries and stole quick singles. Having said that, we all know that cricket is a game of glorious uncertainty. With four days’ play still left, one can only hope that the gloom does not last for long!
A promise not kept
While returning to the dressing room after having bowled a couple of overs in the SA first innings, all players, barring S Sreesanth, looked crestfallen. When a scribe told him it was poor show as hardly any batsmen fell to a peach of a delivery, the maverick pacer nodded and went on to promise that he would make up for bad performance and take a five-wicket haul. He, however, failed to keep his promise, at least on Day One, but did look dejected when Ganguly grassed a chance at short leg off Sreesanth when Smith was on just 2, only to break into a jig before the crowds in his own inimitable style later on. .
Some batting practice this
Even as Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn scythed through the batting order and India slumped to their second-lowest total on home soil, mood in the dressing room was that of gloom. However, two batsmen, who were not part of the playing eleven, were seen sweating it out in the nets getting some batting practice. A few local bowlers braved the extremely hot and humid conditions, bowling to comeback man Kaif and southpaw Yuvraj Singh. Earlier, it was expected that one of them would replace ‘Master Blaster’ Sachin Tendulkar but local lad Irfan Pathan managed to make it to the final eleven. As a spectator remarked, “The duo seemed to be giving vent to their frustration, hitting cracking shots in the nets.”
Rain brings cheers, bowlers don’t
Darpan Singh. Ahmedabad
(April)
Clouds, lightning and subsequent showers brought cheering among fans, feeling completely let down by the poor show put up by Team India. The second day's play was on Friday called off early due to rain with 12.4 overs still remaining to be bowled. Now, the play will start half an hour earlier than the scheduled time of 9.30 am on Saturday to make up for the lost time. Fans, especially youths and children, were seen rejoicing and resorting to rain dance. A spectator remarked, “Now, only rain can help India think of saving this Test match.” Rain stopped play in the third session when South Africa were 494 for 7 in their first innings, in reply to India's 76. The visitors lead by 418 runs.
Tough task for first-inning heroes
In order to save the Test match, the Indian batsmen will have to put up an out-of-skin show. Though they have amassed a number of centuries, but when it comes to second-inning tons, they have little to boast of. It may surprise many to know that Ganguly and Sehwag have so far scored a century each in second innings. VVS Laxman has done it thrice. In such a situation, a lot depends on Rahul Dravid who has done it five times in his career. A cricket buff said, “Let’s hope ‘The Wall’ stands tall once again.”
(April)
Clouds, lightning and subsequent showers brought cheering among fans, feeling completely let down by the poor show put up by Team India. The second day's play was on Friday called off early due to rain with 12.4 overs still remaining to be bowled. Now, the play will start half an hour earlier than the scheduled time of 9.30 am on Saturday to make up for the lost time. Fans, especially youths and children, were seen rejoicing and resorting to rain dance. A spectator remarked, “Now, only rain can help India think of saving this Test match.” Rain stopped play in the third session when South Africa were 494 for 7 in their first innings, in reply to India's 76. The visitors lead by 418 runs.
Tough task for first-inning heroes
In order to save the Test match, the Indian batsmen will have to put up an out-of-skin show. Though they have amassed a number of centuries, but when it comes to second-inning tons, they have little to boast of. It may surprise many to know that Ganguly and Sehwag have so far scored a century each in second innings. VVS Laxman has done it thrice. In such a situation, a lot depends on Rahul Dravid who has done it five times in his career. A cricket buff said, “Let’s hope ‘The Wall’ stands tall once again.”
Spectators feel the pain as Team India go on leather hunt
Darpan Singh. Ahmedabad
(April)
While South Africa took a massive 400-plus lead and Indian bowlers unsuccessfully looked for wickets for most part of the day, there was little to cheer about for hundreds of fans braving a scorching sun at Motera on Friday. However, not ones to be content with the leather hunt by Team India, a majority of them employed different methods to keep themselves ‘cool’ and ‘appreciate’ good cricket by the Proteas.
A number of fans were seen savouring ice-creams, cold drinks and other food items being sold at different stands in the stadium, while being blissfully ignorant of the on-filed happenings, if there were any except the Proteas clearing the fence and stealing quick singles at regular intervals. To their delight, Harbhajan Singh broke into a jig when everything seemed dull and drab.
Ramakant Desai, who came to the stadium along with his family, said, “There was nothing in the match. It was very difficult to keep watching a game which cannot produce a positive result for us. It was fun having good food with the family.” Those running stalls in the stadium also confirmed that fewer people came because of the hopeless situation Team India found itself in but those who came had nothing much to do apart from looking for ‘cool’ food to beat the heat as well as the boredom.
Not only this, young spectators continued to boo players despite the fact that the cops deployed at the stadium tried their best to put a check on the practice. A group of students constantly teased Yuvraj Singh by screaming at the top of their voice ‘Deepika…Deepika’ as and when the southpaw was seen on the field carrying drinks and other stuff. The bunch did not spare even the local lad Irfan Pathan, who had to face similar volley of comments.
Soon after lunch, a number of spectators started leaving the stadium. When DNA sought to know the reason, which was anyway quite apparent, they said they would roam around in the city and return in the evening, hoping for things to improve. Some of them who had come from far-flung areas went to Sabarmati Ashram, while others chose to do window-shopping in the city.
(April)
While South Africa took a massive 400-plus lead and Indian bowlers unsuccessfully looked for wickets for most part of the day, there was little to cheer about for hundreds of fans braving a scorching sun at Motera on Friday. However, not ones to be content with the leather hunt by Team India, a majority of them employed different methods to keep themselves ‘cool’ and ‘appreciate’ good cricket by the Proteas.
A number of fans were seen savouring ice-creams, cold drinks and other food items being sold at different stands in the stadium, while being blissfully ignorant of the on-filed happenings, if there were any except the Proteas clearing the fence and stealing quick singles at regular intervals. To their delight, Harbhajan Singh broke into a jig when everything seemed dull and drab.
Ramakant Desai, who came to the stadium along with his family, said, “There was nothing in the match. It was very difficult to keep watching a game which cannot produce a positive result for us. It was fun having good food with the family.” Those running stalls in the stadium also confirmed that fewer people came because of the hopeless situation Team India found itself in but those who came had nothing much to do apart from looking for ‘cool’ food to beat the heat as well as the boredom.
Not only this, young spectators continued to boo players despite the fact that the cops deployed at the stadium tried their best to put a check on the practice. A group of students constantly teased Yuvraj Singh by screaming at the top of their voice ‘Deepika…Deepika’ as and when the southpaw was seen on the field carrying drinks and other stuff. The bunch did not spare even the local lad Irfan Pathan, who had to face similar volley of comments.
Soon after lunch, a number of spectators started leaving the stadium. When DNA sought to know the reason, which was anyway quite apparent, they said they would roam around in the city and return in the evening, hoping for things to improve. Some of them who had come from far-flung areas went to Sabarmati Ashram, while others chose to do window-shopping in the city.
Fans know better what caused ‘the great Indian collapse’
Darpan Singh. Ahmedabad
April
Even as the team management and cricket pundits struggled to find out why the Indian batting collapsed like a pack of cards on a wicket which was made to look like a belter by the Proteas, ‘expert’ cricket aficionados, trying their best to beat the boredom at Motera on Friday, came out with their own reasons leading to the fiasco.
No devil in the pitch
Almost all the spectators DNA spoke to felt that there was no devil in the wicket and the Indian batsmen showed a complete lack of application. Rajesh Gahatraj, a native of Siliguri, who is in the city on a business tour, said, “The batsmen looked scared. This is what even a bit of grass on the wicket does to them. They did not believe they could cope with it.”
‘Verbal duel’ backfired?
Reports had it that skipper Anil Kumble had approached curator Dhiraj Prasanna, asking him to prepare a ‘sporting’ wicket following the run feast at Chennai. Though there is no official word on it, fans, quoting sources close to the curator, said there was a verbal duel between Kumble and Prasanna over the issue. Said a fan, on the condition of anonymity, “After the spat, he (Prasanna) made it a point to make the wicket ‘sporting’.
IPL shoot a distraction
A number of fans, fuming at the batting display, were of the opinion that a number of Indian batsmen remained busy shooting for the IPL after the Chennai Test, leaving very little time with them for practice before the Ahmedabad Test. Kapil, a college student, said, “Rigorous net practice a couple of days ahead of a Test match has been a regular regimen which was not followed this time around. It cost a lot. After all, it’s international cricket.”
Jumbo needed rest?
Though the commitment and dedication of Anil Kumble cannot be doubted, speculations were rife that he was not fit enough to be able to make it to the playing eleven. Cricket fans said that Jumbo, despite knowing fully well that there was help for the bowlers on the wicket, chose to bat first as he did not want to bowl early on with an injured shoulder. Sariat and Mahesh, a couple, said, “He must have thought that his injury would get better with the progress of Indian innings. But he had to bowl soon after lunch. He should not have played.”
April
Even as the team management and cricket pundits struggled to find out why the Indian batting collapsed like a pack of cards on a wicket which was made to look like a belter by the Proteas, ‘expert’ cricket aficionados, trying their best to beat the boredom at Motera on Friday, came out with their own reasons leading to the fiasco.
No devil in the pitch
Almost all the spectators DNA spoke to felt that there was no devil in the wicket and the Indian batsmen showed a complete lack of application. Rajesh Gahatraj, a native of Siliguri, who is in the city on a business tour, said, “The batsmen looked scared. This is what even a bit of grass on the wicket does to them. They did not believe they could cope with it.”
‘Verbal duel’ backfired?
Reports had it that skipper Anil Kumble had approached curator Dhiraj Prasanna, asking him to prepare a ‘sporting’ wicket following the run feast at Chennai. Though there is no official word on it, fans, quoting sources close to the curator, said there was a verbal duel between Kumble and Prasanna over the issue. Said a fan, on the condition of anonymity, “After the spat, he (Prasanna) made it a point to make the wicket ‘sporting’.
IPL shoot a distraction
A number of fans, fuming at the batting display, were of the opinion that a number of Indian batsmen remained busy shooting for the IPL after the Chennai Test, leaving very little time with them for practice before the Ahmedabad Test. Kapil, a college student, said, “Rigorous net practice a couple of days ahead of a Test match has been a regular regimen which was not followed this time around. It cost a lot. After all, it’s international cricket.”
Jumbo needed rest?
Though the commitment and dedication of Anil Kumble cannot be doubted, speculations were rife that he was not fit enough to be able to make it to the playing eleven. Cricket fans said that Jumbo, despite knowing fully well that there was help for the bowlers on the wicket, chose to bat first as he did not want to bowl early on with an injured shoulder. Sariat and Mahesh, a couple, said, “He must have thought that his injury would get better with the progress of Indian innings. But he had to bowl soon after lunch. He should not have played.”
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