‘They look much bigger on TV’

The players, most of whom came dressed formally, didn’t show the slightest discomfort even when their meals were frequently disrupted by autograph-seekers and people looking for photographs or as valuable handshake. The most sought-after of them were Sachin Tendulkar and Indian skipper Saurav Ganguly. And man-of-the-moment Ashish Nehra, who limped slightly due to his ankle injury.

If the upcoming Indo-Pak match was weighing on their minds, none of them showed it. Harbhajan Singh had a ball with the kids, who refused to leave his side. Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath, both dressed alike in yellow shirts and black trousers, had to keep posing for family pictures much after their other teammates had settled down in front of their plates. Dinner also began early since none of the players chose the alcohol on offer, though some, like Rahul Dravid, were seen sipping on their health drink cans.

Dravid, who was also a star of the last match with his 63 runs and three catches, walked up to the DJ thrice to request the Phil Collins number ‘I just can’t stop loving you’. Dashing middle-order bat Yuvraj Singh seemed like the only other musically-inclined cricketer, swaying a little to the beat, especially when the Queen song ‘We are the champions’ was played for the team.

Now for the most-heard comment of the night. No, it wasn’t ‘Win India Win’ or something along the lines. It was about how unimposing the cricketers look in real life. “They look much bigger-built on television”, said a guest. “They are all so small”, said another.

The statement, in reality, was actually apt for Parthiv Patel. The bespectacled 17-year-old Indian wicketkeeper, who could well have been mistaken for one of the cricket-crazy kids around the place.