'Nothing like watching the game along with crazy Indian fans'

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But no one expected it to be an epic encounter and a humdinger as it turned out.   
At least not Philip, an English fan who is part of the iconic Barmy Army group. Every spectator from the British Isles, whom Deccan Herald spoke to, ran short of adjectives to describe their 'truly exhilarating' sporting experience.

"It's the best ever sporting experience of my life. I've watched a World Cup final, but the experience here was simply incredible," Philip says.

His friend Bigcoop adds: "It's truly unbelievable. We thought we would win comfortably but when the bubble burst, it came crashing down," he quipped.

In Bigcoop's view, Indian spectators are simply mad about cricket. "In England, fans sit and watch the match. Here, people sing, dance and jump," Bigcoop said. The trio is from West Bromwich, a town in West Midland.

In the words of Jonathan Dyson from Leeds, the experience was fantastic. "It was pure fun. We enjoyed a great rapport with the Indian fans. There was no hostility," he narrated.

Gary Chapman, an IT professional from Cambridge,  came to Bangalore on a business visit.

The change of venue for the game proved to be more than a boon for him. "Had it been anywhere else, I couldn't have made it. The game was simply electrifying; especially the last eight overs simply changed its course," he says.

He also says Indian fans are 'more crazy' about cricket. "We tried to discuss things, but couldn't hear a thing because of the noise. But the people are very warm, friendly and hospitable," he said.

For Dennis Stuart  from London, it was the first World Cup match. Apart from the pleasant weather, the City had a great ambience and the stadium was fantastic, he said.

“Watching cricket with Indian fans is like nothing else. The closest experience is watching football with English fans,” he added.  

But Lawrence S, a teacher from Worcester, was disappointed with the result. “I thought England really had it in the middle overs, especially with Andrew Strauss looking so strong,” he said. “But hats off to Zaheer, for that magical two-ball spell,” he said.