Pooped or party-poopers?

NAGPUR, October 12: Here in orange country, the circus is in town. The locals, united in their desire to support the team, soak up the flavour and expect an experience that will last a lifetime. So far, they haven't been disappointed. Or maybe, they have. Because, on the evidence of Friday, few contrasts in sport could have been greater than the serenity of Team India and the cacophony of excitement in a city waiting impatiently to witness a contest between two world champions.
When MS Dhoni's men emerged here from the luxury coach that drove them down to the team hotel by circumventing the frenzy surrounding the team's touch-down, it was with eyes wide shut.Sachin Tendulkar walked in viewing the world from behind sunglasses. Sourav Ganguly's introductory half-smile was delivered in slow motion. Rahul Dravid, wife and kid in tow, appeared detached. Murali Kartik sported a non-committal grin, nodding every now and then. And Dhoni simply settled for easy affability meant for no one in particular. You blinked, but there was nothing to miss in the familiar faces that surged past -- most looked blank.
Beyond that, all attempts at a goggle-eyed view were robustly stopped by hand-in-hand bouncers manning the hotel entrance as a human chain. Just as well. If you had to be a victim of tiredness on Friday, there couldn't have been a better identity to assume than that of a Team India cricketer. Till you met team manager Lalchand Rajput. "The boys have been playing non-stop since the tour of Ireland," he explained, going on to detail every stop and turn in the team's recent itinerary.
The show went on nonetheless. A little girl answering to the name of Samika Aggarwal conducted her own unofficial welcoming ceremony by ushering in the players with a rose bud apiece. Some in the crowd applauded... whenever they felt they should.
Meanwhile, for those who cared to catch a diametrically different story, the Australians walked in with inviting smiles, outstretched hands ready to shake palms, body language that had e-n-e-r-g-y written all over it. And, to the discerning eye, a collective smirk on their faces that betrayed their confidence.
Still, Nagpur turned up in multiples to witness a nets session starring all of two Indian players: Rohit Sharma and S Badrinath. Nine Bollywood-bitten players made a getaway to a movie theatre while Sree Santh preferred a quiet meal outside the hotel.