England check in

For a country where cricket is a healthy distraction, the arrival of the England team and the subsequent resumption of their tour could provide a diversion that could help people deal with the depressing aftermath of the terror strikes in Mumbai. As expected, it took several security checks and long hours of deliberations before Kevin Pietersen and his men returned within a fortnight to a country that has witnessed its worst terror strike.

Flintoff, Harmison bring cheers

At around 8 pm, Pietersen walked out of the airport with a shy smile on his face. As a chain of khaki-clad cops cordoned off his path towards the bus, he waved to the crowd. Watching the team bus full of England stars sitting safe in an island of security personnel, in the middle of a sea of onlookers and mediapersons, must have been a reassuring sight for the hosts.

While the crowds cheered for the captain, there was a collective sigh of relief when they spotted the tall figures of Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison. At this point, it was clear that the England team wasn8217;t merely returning to make a token statement.

In the middle of the chaos, one spotted a Tamil Nadu Cricket Association official present at the airport and asked him about the significance of England8217;s arrival. He opts to speak about the grim hypothetical situation of the tour getting cancelled. 8220;It would have been a really big setback. Security fears would have multiplied and foreign teams would have thought several times before coming to India. It would have been bad for Indian cricket, and worse for international cricket,8221; he says.

His views are similar to those voiced by Ricky Ponting a day before, where he had stressed that a safe India was very important for the game globally. A full strength England in Chennai on Friday meant that world cricket8217;s hub was abuzz again.

Down to business

At the Chepauk in the afternoon, the Indian team had a hectic net session with the boundary line dotted by RAF personnel. At the team hotel, the two floors where the players are housed are out of bounds for general public and a multi-layered security cover is in place.

Far away in Mohali, the venue for the second Test, the Punjab Cricket Association president IS Bindra dismissed talk that the England players are here because the ECB couldn8217;t afford to refuse an invitation from the cash-rich Indian cricket board. 8220;Cricket must go on. The perception about India has changed over the years. These players have visited India often and that8217;s the reason they have confidence in the security arrangements here,8221; said Bindra.

Despite getting used to several rounds of frisking and passing endless metal detectors inside the airport, the sight of a commando sitting behind a bunker with an automatic assault rifle outside provides a reminder of the horrors gone by. To think that Pietersen 038; Co are here for a slice of the financial pie is quite naive.