When the blues bled

The tension in the air was palpable and the drama was at its height. When India played Australia on Thursday, there was clearly no dull moment.

The streets wore an empty look in the morning. People huddled in front of television, fingers crossed, chanting and hoping for  the Indian cricket team’s victory.

Lounges, offices, tea shops and electronic stores were turned into make-shift campsites for die-hard cricket fans who took the day off or forgot about work. 

The match glued the country together. Starting from Wednesday, Twitter was flooded with posts like – “Dear sir, My country needs me tomorrow. I want to apply for the leave which I call as the patriotism leave. It’s India vs Australia in the World-Cup semi final. My nation needs me. Kindly grant me leave”.  (sic)

But by afternoon, the tweets turned more morose – “Dear sir, My uncle who died in the morning just woke up. I am reaching office in 30 minutes!” – as Australia gained a neck-tight hold over India and later won the game. 

While the day ended with disappointment and many broken hearts, it was back
to business for many Bengalureans.