Cricinfo - Blogs - Tour of Duty - Sehwag causes a racket

It is really good to read this kind of a piece. Though small it conveys a lot about the cricket loving Indians and also that of the sporting Chennai crowd. I was there at this very ground when Saeed Anwar made the world record 194 against us in 1997 and I still remember the crowd giving him a standing ovation as his innings ended.

Paul, nice small article. I'm from Goa. Last couple of days I've seen some English school kids looks like some cultural exchange or something getting their acts together for a game at Fatorda grounds wonder who are they, are you aware of this?

Awesome to hear the positive relationship between the fans, truely beautiful!

Chennai truly is a special place for test match cricket in India and for test cricket itself. The Chepauk has truly been the cauldron of several epic encounters over the years and this test match is just another one to join the illustrious list. The reason for the poor attendance is multifold. Firstly, there was uncertainty over the test match itself due to inclement weather. Added to the economic recession, work schedules have been rather tight and people haven't been able to take time off work as easily as they would have otherwise. But overall, whatever happens on the final day, Chennai has lived upto its reputation of a high class test venue (one of the fewer ones left in India) by consistently providing games that enter the fourth/fifth day with all results possible. It would only help if the BCCI took special notice of this. Also the curator needs to be commended for getting the wicket ready under such dramatic circumstances and such a short notice. Hail the spirit of the Chepauk

Thats cricket at its best.I live in chester and follow cricket all over the world,to be honest with you as an indian cricket i salute the english cricketers as well as the supporters for the solidarity,and the way this match is going is breathtaking,am glad paul having a nice time in india and enjoing your cricket with the lively crowd.I dont know why Ian Botham commented when india toured england in 2007 about the noice where indian crowds making..he said he wouldn't like to watch a cricket match with that sort of noice.well paul am glad u guys having great time

That's what cricket is all about...or for that matter sport. You win some, lose some. In the end it's the game that's the winner.

It's good to see the realationship between the fans is going well. That fans have the sportmanship to shake their counterparts hand is a great sign.

we the Indian fans will remember this touring party of English cricketers as well as fans who have turned to India for the test series despite terror attacks in Mumbai.Thank you all and yes its interesting to see that you people will remember this forever.Thank you for your visit and do come back again !! We'll be waiting for you..

Nice to see you guys have been enjoying. You deserved something special for coming here during bad times and fifth day has been poised to as good as it can get, thanks to Sehwag. cheers!

I have never seen a player apart from Sanath Jayasurya taking the bowling along so well. The biggest strength of Sehwag is his mental frame of mind, but it can also be his downfall. One out of 4 times he will win you matches, and he has so well today set up a match for india, If India gets a good start and see off the lunch session for 220 for 3, then we have a game on. At the moment its 60:40 to india. Go india!!!!!!

Paul...if u remember as soon as test match as rescheduled to Chennai I said you will enjoy this great xpereince of watching a match in Chepauk...and its no wonder I have been proved right..being a Chennaite I know the love of game that prevails here and its just apt that Chepauk has been not only historic but also provided great entertaining test cricket....Proud to be Chennaite....hope the best team wins

I really missed the real action being on travel from today in Indonesia. However, really appreciate the vivid description of everything given in the blogs. Cricket in India is a religion and we love to see good cricket may it be India or England. Look forward to a very interresting days play tomorrow.

While we thank the English team for their return for the tests, we shall shower all praises on viru for his memorable innings he played today. He has not only brought this game into an interesting finish he has also made that cricket has soothing effect that we Indians enjoy, after the bloody terror attacks on our country.

It was quite an experience of a lifetime. I was there among the bottle bangers, and Sehwag mania had seriously struck the M.A.C stadium this evening.Not something I'll forget too soon..

wow! what what an tee-a-tee match to watch with sehwag firing all cylinders.i apreciate english teams decision to came back.have fun guys

Chennai has winessed some of the classics of the game.,1987 Tied test between India vs Aus, Hirwani's test debut, Saeed Anwar's ODI world Record, Sachin's best 2nd Inning heroics, Wasim's men conquering Indian hearts, Kapil's express century with 22 boundaries with the help of Chetan Sharma to avoid follow on against Aus (tied test), Sunil Gavaskar's 29th Test hundred, Duleep Mendis twin century, revival of Dean Jones test career with a 210, Winning the series against Steve Waugh's warriors and the list goes on. Full credit to the Chennai Crowd who turn up in big numbers at the stadium not just to cheer the home team but also to applaud good cricket and give the due respect to the visiting teams. Forget the result of this match, true winners will be KP's men. The game was won when they announced to India. That was the spirit needed to inject life into cricket at this critical phase. Kudos to them and the chepauk curator, as this is the best advertisement for TEST CRICKET.

The Article speaks volumes about the English fans. Generally, one tends to think that an English fan can't look beyond his own player / his country's interest. But this piece by Paul has shown them in different perspective and I also draw everyone's attention to Andrew Strauss's comments at the end of the day's play

A limerick
This is a mighty whacker,
Was it but a massacre
He smote and he drove
On the fence or above
Win, lose or draw 'Tis heart breaker!

I thought of watching tomorrow's match in the stadium. Can anyone help mw with the details of where and when can I get the tickets?

This is one of the article touched me. Short, precise, to the point and i believe it came from a true cricket fan who do not have color or national boundaries. Keep it up

Paul, it is great seeing all you englishmen coming to India despite all odds and the best part is that you are thoroughly enjoying it. Chennai has always had the tradition of having a sportive crowd. The noise level would have been even more had the stadium got full. But still it was an exciting day nevertheless. Enjoy day 5 as well. Cheers.

what a fantastic final session on day four,if england have dominated three and half days sehwag showed we can still win by showing dominance in four sessions...but lets see what happens tommorow..one can expect yuvraj to show the same kind of exciting cricket..dravid is desperately in need of runs and cricket fans are expecting an interesting day in the office...whatever the result may be thanks to the cricketers for bringing such an exciting stuff amidst some tough situations in the country

I miss home! I am in the US soing my masters and I miss Chennai. I haven't missed a single match there for the past so macny years. You guys should have listened to the noise when Viru made 319. Deafening!!!! Whoa Chepauk is the best!! I just love to watch test cricket there!!!

It's great to see you guys having a good time in Chennai! Chennaites have always been a sporting crowd, glad it's still that way.

Chennai crowd is a delight. They just appreciate every thing good even their opponents. I go there because of the people and the way they behave. Chennai might be hot Chennai people are so cool

wat a great innings from sehwag but it was a rather controversial decision to give him out because of the uncertainity of the pitch and in england's 2nd innings also u could see that england at 40-3 strauss was given not out when caught by gambhir in the same over dhoni dropped him.the umpires didn't give him out and gave him the benefit of doubt.the icc should look into this when he umpire has doubt he should review it.this is aishwarya bagla supporting the truth

Superb match. There is no other way to describe the match. I hope all cricket lovers in Chennai would turn up for the match to support India.

I am always afraid that when Sehwag goes in to bat
he can get out anytime, and when he get on the go
HIS innings will be long and entertaining. He is like that. This innings remind me of Rohan Kanhai
71 runs in England. As a matter of fact he is like
Rohan Kanhai, all BOWLERS are afraid to Bowl
against him. Even his team mate, Hall,Griffiyt,
Sobers. Sehwag is an entertainer.
S.N.Singh-Florida

I was there today, one of those contributing to the din when Sehwag blitzed his runs. Although I dont think anything can beat Kris Srikkanths century against Imran, Akram and Qadir in 1986 for generating a frenzy in Chennai. That day, all stands were absolutely packed and people had come expecting a blitz from Srikkanth and he delivered. I would also add that Collingwood and Strauss's knocks were also well appreciated and hope they felt the same.

Felt good reading your posts and the comments. Proud I am from Chennai but right now far away in U.K. My best wishes for both England and Indian
team for the 5th day of this 1st Test match.

Chennai crowd is a delight. They just appreciate every thing good even their opponents. I go there because of the people and the way they behave. Chennai might be hot Chennai people are so cool

Optimism is the key in Sehwag's play and for India at the moment. Go India go for the target.... If we can chase 250 plus in 50 overs then why not in 90 :-)

Eventhough I'm from Chennai unfortunately I have neither been to a test match nor an ODI in Chepauk. I have been to other stadiums in India. From what I see in TVs and read in papers about Chepauk shows that people of Tamilnadu love the game and appreciate the best players / team. I would like to see this in the entire country in all stadiums.

I was sitting just below the commentators box in the stand over the sight screen . At one stage Gavasker started dancing as the plastic bottles and drums went beserk...and there was this one character who did not see a single ball, but danced all day screaming with insane energy...was a blast the cricket today. After conming home I watched the TV replay and its great to see one (presumably) english lady clutch her heart in relief when Sewagh was out. As a rule , we Indians do like to ensure our visitors have a good experince here and I am very happy to see yr write up Paul

I am really missing all the fun and action happening at Chepauk. If you want to enjoy watching cricket and having fun too Chepauk is the place. Chennaites are sports friendly people, appreciate good cricket even from the opposition
perspective, which is very a very good thought for the spirit of the game. I really cherish my childhood days spent in watching test and oneday cricket at Chepauk. We are very proud AND happy to see Paul and Smith's comments on Chennaites. Lastly we must all say Kudoos to Kevin Pieterson and the entire English team to take the lead to play at Chepauk in the spirit of the game inspite of all the happenings at Mumbai.

Chennai crowd is famous for it's sporting spirit and graciousness towards opponents. They even gave a standing ovation to a Pakistani team back in the 90s after Pakistan won a test match !! Such crowd behaviour is an exception these days in India but I have a feeling this English team will be applauded wherever they go in India for they braved enough odds to come back and play the series.

I live in the U.S but spent a major portion of my childhood in Chennai. I really miss it. I've had my share of games at chepauk. I played at the chepauk 'B' grounds as a school kid in the 80's and it was such a privelige to take a tour of the main ground. Well what can you say about the chennai crowd. They know their cricket and also appreciate good stuff. Thanks to the English cricket team for making the trip to chennai. I was recently in India and was in the same flight as the english team took on the return journey after the onedayers from Bangalore to London Heathrow. I actually could not believe how huge freddie and steve were. I shook Freddie's hands and wished him well. He said "Cheers Mate". I also said hello to Kevin.. I'm really glad that paul is enjoying his stay in chennai. We have always been very good hosts and I'm glad that it is still continuing. May the best team win. Good luck and as the Englishmen would say - Cheers!!.

Not only Chennai spectators but also the Chennai cricketers are sportive.Who can forget great V V Kumar turning to the umpire and say NO to umpire when the slip corden shouts for a LBW appeal. It is a pleassure to watch cricket at any level in Chennai.The real fact is we love Test cricket more than the shorter verities. I sat there appreciating Ken Barrington when Bapu Nadkarni was bowling 20 and odd continuous maiden overs, because Ken was playing to save the test for England.

In terms of sportsmanship between the fans always need to be encouraged.

The players may have had different reason to come to India.

But Fans coming to India means a lot.

Thanks for being here.

Madras Crowd is meant for smartness and they understand cricket! Whether it may be giving a standing ovation to Strauss for brilliant effort in both innings or Colli's matured hundred... But I am sure the crowd witnessed what they wanted, Watching sehwag in full flow will make anyone's money in this world a worth!! He has been a fascinating entertainer! All we can hope is aggression with smartness and maturity from India tomorrow to seal a win in Madras!! But we need to applaud the courage and gesture shown by ECB and England players for coming back to India and provide the entertainment for us!! We are all hoping for a fascinating fifth day at Chepauk!!

You can see this sort of behavior only in Chennai. Other than Chennai nowhere in India you can see a well behaved sporting crowd.

Today i regret my decision for coming to UK, otherwise I would have been definitely the part of that wonderful crowd, my hometown crowd.--Good luck India, one of your fan will cheer from UK.

Paul - Nice article. And thanks a lot for coming to Chennai. I know cricket is not worth risking our life on but thanks!

Chennai is and will always be a fun filled, sports loving crowd. How I wish, I was there shaking hands with you instead of being stuck at office.

Paul,i have been going through all of your articles.All of them have put so much emphasis on the crowd behavior and the hospitality.Just out of curiosity, is this the first time you are traveling to India for a cricket tour or you are overwhelmed because of the fact that even in all this turmoil and terrorist atrocities that people of India find reasons to enjoy and show their unity.Whatever might be the reason really hats off to you guys to have come over here showing us some much needed support.If only shewag was kind enough to oblige the return of Harmison for the tour and treated the english bowlers on the merit the day would have ended much happier for the English. Nevertheless it has made this test match alive and very much interesting.Thanks for the blog Paul and it would be very much appreciable if you could find sometime to reply to these comments sometimes. Like how writers get motivated by the critics or encouragers,we posters(commenters) will feel encouraged to write more.

I live in the caribbean,and what a test match so far.Sehwag has brought back India in contention,however Dravid is under a lot of pressure in this present innings,his career is at stake.Nice to see the English and Indian fans appreciating good cricket.

No-doubt Sehwag's knoch was impressive but more impressive were these comments from Paul Winslow of Barmy Army. I was under the wrong impression that British fans are partisan but these comments totally changed my view. Let this trend of sportsmanship and camaraderie among cricket fans across the countries grow.

I really like the behaviour of chennai and bangalore crowd for taking the game in a sportive spirit and encouaging both home and visiting teams. It was good see the crowd give a standing ovation when Andrew Strauss made century yesterday. I am really excited about the fifth day`s play....I am thinking of taking a day off from office tomorrow....

I was born and brought up in Chennai and now live in New Zealand. See now this si what I call test cricket. 21 wickets have fallen with two cenmturies and one blasting innings from Shewag. Aussies neede to learn something from this. If we start to play test5 cricket like this we will have more crowds in and also more results. England have played very well on a turning track and Strauss has definately come alive in this match. I am sure this match will be remembered for a long time doesnt matter which ever team wins. Go India !!!!!!

I am from Madras (Chennai) and been abroad for 20 years now. It is good to hear that chennai fans are still the same, i.e., they love and support the game and not simply be one sided.

hey thank u ppl ;)
i am living in chennai fr the past one and half years ... and this blog makes me feel proud .... ;)

Great on the part of english to return to india after the terror strikes. otherwise we would not have got an exciting test match like this

Even if Dravid is able to make a good 40 or 50 and give gambhir company on the other side india will easliy see through the 200 and fromt here on some sensebale batting and we are looking at a comprehensive win evenon though we never looked at winnign tyhe match on the first 4 days of the game

May the best man(team) win, ultimately we want a good contest on the field without the sledging and the whining which always comes to the fore when Aussie players and crowds are involved. They are poor sportsmen.

With all the comments about cricket becoming a money game, that the decision by the england team to come back to India was all about money, the players have proved that its the game that matters and entertains the crowd. good to see the england team take the fight to the Indians.

Its heartening to know that our fans are so sporting. If I were there, I would have done the same thing. Like one of the readers pointed out, I have seen all the matches in Chennai till 2003, right from the first flood lit match between Aus Vs NZ in the world cup. The reason I am saying this is that now I am in Perth and desperatley miss the opportunities to see India play cricket with our supporters. That we managed to beat Aus here and I was there on the 3rd and 4th days is a different story altogether.
Shewag has really set this game for India. I think only 2 results are possible frome here. If it meanders to a draw then I truly think it will be bad for test cricket.

This is what happens when the game is played in a cricket loving city. BCCI should take notice of it and give at least one test match to Eden also. Its been very long since we had a test match there.

cricket is the winner here :)

Hey Paul,
The respect has been mutual. It is a privilege to host a test series for the British team and the British Barmy Army. We really appreciate the English team and the fans visiting India and hope to be at our hospitable best.

If an Indian, gets an occasion to be at the Lords Cricket Ground, his cricketing horizon will be furthered. The spectator at Lords, is a different type of a cricket enthusiast. The Eden Gardens regular, will certainly be appreciative of the Lords Cricket Ground, and it's atmosphere.

Yep, Chennai has to be one of the best places to watch Cricket. I was there when Anwar hit 194 in a magical day and everyone in the crowd was on their feet applauding his effort at the end of the innings. Thanks for posting about it, brings back good memories :)

Even though I am an Indian fan and will be slightly disappointed if India lose, there is a significant part of me that wants to see England win. By going ahead with the tour, the English team have shown that they will not let terrorists dictate their movements. By winning, they will demonstrate that they will not allow the terrorists to control their minds. All in all, this match has revived test cricket by putting on show the one thing that distinguishes this great game from all others--humanity.

Even then Iam staying at Melbourne Australaia,and there is no fecility to see or to hear the Cricket being played at Chepauk,Chennai,Iam really thankfull to CRICINFO for the arrangements for watching the wonderfull Cricket sitting in Melbourne.
Thank you,Cricinfo and Sewhag!!

what a test match! let me say that again - WHAT A TEST MATCH!!! It's like Ben Hur with hazaar twists. test cricket rocks!

good to know the barmies are having a good time and getting to connect with the indian fans. the only antidote to terror is to just carry on and refuse to be terrified. appreciate you guys being here!

Great topic !! Who can ever forget the standing ovation given by this Chennai crowd to Wasim Akram and his team for their victory lap in 1999 ?? This is Sportsmanship at its very best !! Whatever be the result of this match, CRICKET has been a winner throughout the 5 days !! :-)

its always a memorizing moment to see shewag all over the ground. His presence in the field is something special and i think within his presence anything is possible and everything can happen.

I am really confused, why some people comment, that England team has come for the money at stake. Mate, in this world, every one needs money, and after a short cricket career, there is a long life ahead, and not every cricketer will get the chance of associating with it in some form for a career. it is out of shear talent and hard work, they have come to this level, and they are a handful in a country of several crore people. Those talent and hard work, and the short lived sports career, and the standard of living, consider all those, and pass on. Can you guies, who comment on the money front, will be able to face a single over from bret lee or Ishant. You all won't be able to even see the ball. Give respect to the sports persons, because, we watch them, comment , talk about it, and they give us all the much needed relaxations of a tense life!

That was fantastic, no doubt. Breath taking... One question remains - what happened just before he played that terrible shot out of no where? I was watching the game on willowTV from Saint Louis, MO, USA and could not see what the short leg fielder said to Sehwag? Sehwag laughed at his comments and played a very casual shot next ball. He lost his concentration completely. A great players like him should not give it away. Now England have a chance unless the "wall" produces a miracle... Fat chance... Once Sehwag settles down he need to remember just one thing... PLAY STRAIGHT. I am very happy for his 83 though...

How nicely the sporting Chennai cricket-lovers' attitude to cricketeers has been described! A truly nice compliments.

I was one among the crowd watching the final day's play of that heartbreaking match between India & Pakistan. The moment India lost, there was stunned silence all around. But moments later the crowd were on there feet appreciating the players efforts when the pak players took the victory lap. It was a great sight! U wont see that from the crowds of Kolkata, Mumbai or even bangalore.

Wow, great comments. I was speaking to a cousin who says he's lost interest in cricket due to "over cricket", silly. There is no such thing, ask my kid who wants to play every single time you ask him what he wants to do.
Having travelled to difficult parts of the world, dealing with Delhi bellies and what not, to enjoy a game of cricket when the game could go either way is very inspiring. I am nursing a 2 hour bitterness of a closely fought game of cricket and it set my spirits a little higher :-)

hi chennai, this is the best way we should be appreciated for our sportsmanship....i really felt emotional wen i read all those comments...keep it up guys...thanks so much for kevin's men for their approval to tour india after the recent bloody attack..thanks kevin and to their team...jai hind...

Little improvemant from Indian Fans. we have seen when the the Indian team was first round knocked out by the Bangladesh the fans burnt cricketors' homes and when the sri lanken beat Indian in semi final in 1996 world cup fans burnt the so many things in the ground.

I agree..chennai crowd always appericate tge good cricket..even its a wasim akram win or saeed anwar 196 in ODI, we appericiated the good game of cricket..hats up to chennai fans..;)

Wat an innings by VIRU..he smashed english bowlers.infact Viru is the only batsmen can play shots liek that....smashing SIXES and four all over ground......I'm sa BIG fan of VIRU

till now what the game is going is good but, it is 5th day we should be careful and we should not underestimate england

I agree..chennai crowd always appericate tge good cricket..even its a wasim akram win or saeed anwar 196 in ODI, we appericiated the good game of cricket..hats up to chennai fans..;)

Yes of course chennai has come alive . But Not dravid.

I am ardent fan and lover of test cricket..I loved the way England especially Andrew and Paul grinded India's attack.. but was absolutely shocked abt Shewags approach.. This guy is wonderful, He's bought the game alive in a matter of few overs, which I felt was heading Englands way.. That was a marvelous approach, We can count Shewags as one among the greatest of the players.. because playing in Test cricket with this pace is a different cup of tea..as there are no field restrictions bowlers can bowl that bounce, extra yard of swing an pace, test wicket, catching positions etc.. make test batting all together different. This is one of the reasons why I guy like Yuvraj has not been succesfull in test cricket. About Dravid I think its time Indian selctors stop favoritism in the name of Seniors / Juniors and start selcting the best test players for the country.. Even if it means dropping a Dravid of Tendulkar , If they are not performing to their potential.

I was there at Chepauk, probably when Paul was there on Sunday - I never miss a Test match in Chennai. This year the noise levels were helped by a new RBS-branded air stick. Chennai fans usually depend on empty plastic bottles. But, this Sunday the crowd was relatively thinner - given that England were batting in the morning and the Indian case seemed weak. The new air sticks really made up for all that with some really rasping loud noise when you strike them together. A lovely addition to the atmosphere in the stadium, I must say.
And, Paul, if you thought it takes a Sehwag thunderstrike to get the Chennai criwds going try Tendulkar. I think Sachin rarely fielded near your stands this Sunday. From where I was sitting, every wave of his hand and every fielding effort brought out the loudest RBS-air-sticked cheer from the crowd.
Nice to know that you are enjoying it in Chennai. Do come back for more. Hope you'll like the cheers when we win it today too! Cheers.

I was there yesterday and really wondered for a moment whether i'm watching cricket in chennai or UK..amazed to see crowd applauding strauss's century like it was sachin tendulkar's...thats the best moment for me...sehwag's innings is certainly icing on the cake...he really brightened our day after sitting through the entire morning session yawning and waiting for a wicket to fall.

I was there watching Sehwag's blitzkrieg from the pavilion stand! Having watched K.Srikkanth's 123 against Pakistan in 1986, Kapil's century against Windies in 1988, I feel the noise and activity levels were pretty low! Of couse the plastic bottle banging and air sticks were there...but still way back then, there was rythmic clapping for every delivery for god knows how many overs with the D stand taking lead. Then it was the cheap one with benches. Srikkanth always used to remember his D stand fans with love!

I can quiet understand how English fans find it different. There things get quieter when the ball is bowled...similar to tennis..unlike here where all hell breaks loose.

I did not like the way the crowds were ill treated by TNCA in B stand. It was the only stand filled to the brim on first 4 days and how does TNCA reward them? Put a net and obscure their vision!

the best part about this article is that it is written be a cricket lover unalduterated by the stuff that corrupts society and makes it behave really weird nowadays - Have fun in Chennai my English brother and no matter who wins the match you've just won our hearts - Cheers!

Great blog.. We indians want to win every match. But English team deserved a win in this test match. But nothing should be taken from the spirit of the Indian chase. England is in course for a famous win (half hearted appeal :)). But whatever the result is England team is a winner.

Paul, while India and Indians around the world celebrate their victory today, I'd like to pause and say a sincere thank you for being here. I hope you have had a good time and the hospitality has been good. Like everyone else, I believe cricket is in itself a triumph over the darker forces and the England team are to be commended for putting on the display they did. And keep blogging, so more of your countrymen awake not just to Man U's latest exploits but to the wonders of cricket in India, its new home.

It really was a great test match. Before the tour, I was expecting a list of excuses already created by the English team (smog, prawns, traffic etc.). I am originally from Mumbai and I really wouldnt have faulted the English team if they hadnt come back to play the test series. The very fact that they did speak volumes (IPL, future income be damned .. when family is concerned, safety comes first).
Till the 4th day they were in the drivers seat. It took a few special knocks for an Indian win.
While I am glad about the result, I really am elated about the level of play and the spirit of the English cricket team and their fans.
Thanks for making it and I hope you enjoy your stay.

There's nothing like a cricket match at Chepauk.

I followed every ball live on cricinfo.com. I am at work(although my mind is on cricket). Great to here the fans getting along.

There's nothing like a cricket match at Chepauk.

Thanks to england for coming to play.you have won our hearts.barmy army enjoy your tour.

Sehwag's took the match away from what was supposed to be England's till Fourth day tea break. Nice to hear the appreciation for this blitzkrieg from the other side.

hi paul, nice of the barmy army to come to india. do visit the website - wwww.thoughtarmy.com which is a non commercial site on how we the public can use our thought energy to protect ourselves against the terror and such.