The Indians diaspora celebrated in their own quiet way Team India beating Pakistan against all odds in a big match of the ICC T20 World Cup at the Nassau County Stadium on the outskirts of New York. Obviously, given the small size of the stadium and the exorbitant cost of tickets, most fans from East coast to West were happy to watch the match on television.
“Our emotions are always with Team India, so when the team won, it was joy for us,” said Ragu, who has been living on the outskirts of Washington DC for over 40 years. He is an American citizen but still stays in touch with all things India. His lament was that he could not get a ticket for the match, but went and saw the Sri Lanka vs South Africa game on June 3 instead.
Talking about the security in New York, Ragu was more than impressed. “I had seen similar security only when the US President was being sworn in,” he said, himself a cyber security expert. “Choppers, drones, fully armed guards on horseback, motorcycles, cars – every 20 yards inside the stadium had a cop as well.
“For the India vs Pakistan match, all 30,000 seats were taken at high prices. The money made from tickets, plus add another US$ 5 million for parking and food, is massive. TV rights, advertisements, they probably bring in millions more in revenue.” He was also quick to point out that India vs Pakistan had been a revenue boost for New York. “One has to add business for nearby hotels, the toll to travel to the stadium – all this adds to the local economy,” he said. “The US and New York got a sudden revenue spike, due to cricket.”
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“What a game!” said Gopinath Chari, who lives near Boston. “It met most aspects from an Indian fan’s point view for an India versus Pakistan World Cup game. With the morning rain and delayed start, the team bowling first had a slight advantage. India did not do their cause any good by losing the toss. The pitch was gripping, and I personally felt that the Indians did not bat properly or adjust to the wicket. They were too aggressive and, in the process, lost their wickets.
“In the second half, Pakistan came back with some good bowling, and once again, most Indian batters got out to deliveries that stopped on them. I felt a score of 119 was at least 20 to 30 runs short of a par score, and felt that India had given the game to Pakistan in a platter. However, anything can happen in an India-Pakistan game.
“The Indian team showed great character by digging deep into their inner strength to overcome a tough situation,” added Gopinath. “For a majority Indian crowd, this must have been the icing on the cake, and they would have gone home super thrilled. What a great exhibition of cricket in the USA. I do hope that at least a few non-cricketers/US folks watched this game.”
He too was upset that he could not get a ringside view inside the Nassau Stadium on Sunday.