Fans at chennai

S Sriram is an avid Rohit Sharma fan who always had his loyalties divided when the Mumbai Indians played in those IPL matches against their favorite Chennai Super Kings.

But Saturday was a special one for Sriram, as he was delirious with joy seeing his hero play a daring shot in front of Ben Stokes. More special because Rohit dressed in white and played a Test in Chennai for the first time.

“I am very happy to see Rohit play with whites in Chennai. He is such a lovely player to watch. The fans cheering ‘Rohit, Rohit’ give me goosebumps. Cricket without spectators was not a great idea, but the pandemic forced it ”, could not miss the excitement in Sriram.

“I waited a whole day for my ticket to be redeemed (online), but that doesn’t matter, since now I’m inside the stadium watching the test”, the childish enthusiasm of an “achievement” was indeed contagious when one walked through the stadium. Cheapauk circumference trying to gauge the mood of the fans, who were queuing at the door.

COVID-19 is still a reality, but the opportunity to see your favorite sport live always adds a bit of enthusiasm and positivity in people that everything will be fine.

Chennai fans are the most knowledgeable in the country. They know their sport and are not afraid to recognize good cricket even from the opposition. Wasim Akram’s Pakistan never forgot the standing ovation and chorus of applause after beating India in a 1999 thriller that left Sachin Tendulkar injured with watery eyes in the locker room.

R Venkataraman, a 49-year-old test cricketer, has watched every test match played here since the 1988 India-West Indies game in which Narendra Hirwani took 16 wickets.

“I am a huge fan of test cricket and have been coming to Chepauk for every match since 1987 and I just enjoy the experience. The situation is different now and the pandemic has changed lives to a great extent.

“It is good that sporting events have resumed and the best thing is that crowds are allowed. But it is important that people obey safety rules such as wearing masks and disinfecting frequently, ”he added.

With authorities allowing a 50 percent crowd for the second India-England after the first was played behind closed doors, spectators began queuing from 8 a.m. to enter the stadium.

“It is good that BCCI and TNCA have made the decision to allow spectators (50 percent) for the second test. Fans must be responsible and follow safety protocols because a little indiscretion can undo all good work, ”said S Prabhu, an avid fan and technician.

The ‘I’, ‘J’ and ‘K’ bleachers were opened for spectators for the first time in a decade.

“It’s good that bleachers ‘I’, ‘J’ and ‘K’ have been reopened for fans and it’s good to see people sitting in all three (bleachers). Its closure due to some problem with the local authorities deprived the MA Chidambaram stadium of the opportunity to host several matches, including the 2016 T20 World Cup. Now that they are open again, we can see a full stadium for the IPL hopefully, ”he added.

Following the ‘T’ rules at all hours will be tough, feels Syed Mustafa as he cheers on his heroes.

“It is an incredible feeling. Just to go out and enjoy the experience. If India wins, then it’s like the icing on the cake. It will be a bit difficult to follow the rules, but people should do it for their own good. Even a small mistake can cost a lot, ”he added.

Yes, there was distance between the seats, but they were all close together in their love of cricket very close.

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