The magnitude of an event as significant as the Independence Day invariably tends to become more enormous when you are away from home patch, in a foreign land. Brought together by their cricketing and cricket-related skills, the Indian entourage paid its respects to the men and women who translated the dream of independence into reality on August 15, 1947 with an impromptu rendition of the national anthem at the P Sara stadium on Friday morning, minutes after Dhoni had hoisted the flag before the start of the practice game against Sri Lanka Xi.

Dhoni's love for fast bikes and faster aircrafts is well chronicled. Less well documented are his thoughts on the freedom movement, and on what the Independence Day means to him. "As a child, I visualised that there were lots of people who walked on and then there was a long fight and after that we got independence.
"That (gaining independence) is a moment which we should enjoy. In reality, we realise what its importance was," Dhoni went on.

"We should remember those who contributed (to the  movement). Thousands of people lost their lives for it. We have to recall every thing."

The dashing Jharkhandi added that he attended every single Independence Day function when at school. "I remember there used to be flag-hoisting in my school. I attended the function for 14 years from nursery to class XII. We used to celebrate that, we also used to get a box of sweets; it was like a gift for us!" Wonder what Independence Day gift he and his boys have lined up for the country.