Tattle before the battle

Kamran at receiving end of a drop

Run of their lives

India coach Gary Kirsten,mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton and bowling coach Eric Simmons gave constables of the Punjab police a good workout on Saturday evening. The members of the coaching staff left the team hotel,headed to Sukhna Lake for a jog. But the constables were in for a unpleasant surprise when the trio decided to run 15 kilometers as part of the fitness routine. Unable to keep up with coaches,the first set of four constables who were running along,took a break and a fresh quartet took over even as a police car tailed them along the 2.5 kilometer Leisure valley. For the panting constables,the 15km jog was as embarrassing as it was tiring.

Yuvraj in drivers seat

Home boy Yuvraj Singh,as big as a star can get in these parts of the world,cannot do anything without being noticed in his hometown. Yuvraj took a drive in his green sports car,instantly recognisable on these roads,along with his brother Zorawar seconds after the Pakistan team bus crossed the Sukhna Lake Road. Many recognised the India batsman immediately and waved out but could only get a fleeting glance. The other local boy,Harbhajan Singh took permission from the team management to visit his family in Jallandar. He was scheduled to return to the team hotel late on Saturday night.

Coaches and superstitions

Like in the run up to every big game,India players are having to politely turn down requests from friends,a large number of them,and well-wishers for passes. Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli perhaps have it easier,albeit a wee bit,because their coaches are superstitious and never watch a match involving their wards at a stadium. Gambhirs coach,Sanjay Bharadwaj and Virat Kohlis coach Rajkumar Sharma will skip the semi-final. It is such a big game so I want to continue with my superstition, Bharadwaj said. Sharma found it tough to convince Kohli that it would be better if he watched the game against Pakistan on television. I have promised him that I will watch the final in Mumbai. But if India win I may convince him that I should also watch the final on television, Sharma said.

No rooms in here

The office of the Pakistan Cricket Board at the Gadaffi Stadium is inundated with calls from people who want to know how they can get a visa and if they can buy tickets for the semi-final on Wednesday. While PCB officials are at wits end to explain that they cannot help these fans,they themselves have been running from pillar-to-post to get accommodation in Mohali or Chandigarh. A top PCB official said that all the good hotels were fully booked. While the drive across the border from Lahore to Mohali can be done in 5-6 hours,most of these officials want to avoid driving back after sunset. So they are looking for accommodation for Wednesday night. At the moment they are finding it difficult to get rooms.

Kamran at receiving end of a drop

A number of people used the excuse of attending a fashion and textile exhibition within the team hotel to get a closer look at the cricket stars. When the Pakistan players reached the parking area of the team hotel to board the team bus,there were a large number of fans around. Some of them had come for the exhibition,that was cancelled but they werent upset as they soon realised their good luck on seeing the Pakistan players. A quick-witted fan reserved his comments for the Pakistan wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal. Yeh Akmal catch bahut drop karta,aaj kahin iski bus na isse drop kare Kamran Akmal drops most of the catches and today,the bus might drop him.