Fans lament Sachin absence

For most of the cricket crazy in the region, it was a case of 8216;will he8217; or 8216;won8217;t he8217;. Mumbai Indian Sachin Tendulkar hadn8217;t played any of the team8217;s first two matches, and the buzz was that he was going to miss this one too. Yet, some hoped against hope, wishing Tendulkar plays one of his masterful knocks even at the expense of the local team, Kings XI Punjab.

It wasn8217;t a big crowd at the PCA Stadium, but those who did trickle in were heartbroken to see stand-in skipper Harbhajan Singh walk out for the toss.

Natasha Kaushik, a city banker, rued: 8220;I had come to watch him. Now we8217;ll have to wait till October India-Australia series to see him here.8221;