India vs England: Mumbai excited for Test cricket's return to Wankhede post-Sachin era

Emotions ran high. Bottles were banged relentlessly in rhythmic unison. Incessant ‘Sachin, Sachin’ chants engulfed the Wankhede stadium. A speech of a lifetime had 33,000-odd in tears. It was a carnival. It was madness. It was a kaleidoscope of emotions that the Mumbai crowd and a billion others across the nation witnessed over three draining days as India and Mumbai’s favourite son bid adieu to international cricket.

Wankhede was alive and then Wankhede was totally numb. Mumbai came to a standstill, India came to a standstill. The nation may not witness such an atmosphere ever again, at least, not on the cricket field. That was the last time Mumbai hosted a Test match. It was a special one and it was a memorable one.

It’s been three years since Wankhede has hosted a Test match. While the wait has been tantalising, there is a genuine sense of excitement as India take on England in the fourth Test of the ongoing series.

“Extremely excited (about Test cricket returning to Mumbai). I’ve taken a week off from work in Gurgaon and have come to Mumbai for the Test match,” gushes Vipul Yadav, a brand manager from Mumbai.

“A Test match at Wankhede is an exciting prospect. It is the chance to see high quality cricket in a ‘better than on TV’ experience. It is always special when Wankhede hosts a Test. I get to spend five days in my favourite stadium in the world with a bunch of passionate fans,” Anish DeSouza, a 27-year-old chemical engineer working in the US tells Firstpost.

It’s not just the quality of cricket but the bonding that you forge while attending matches at the Wankhede that attracts you to the stadium, and the city. The Mumbai crowd is known for its hostility towards the opposition but more than that, it’s their passion and the atmosphere they create, which makes viewing from the stands here extra special.

Talking of hostility towards the opposition, even the Barmy Army – a semi-organised group of English cricket fans who follow their team on overseas tours and are known to create quite the clamour – has always been sober at the Wankhede, and with good reason.

“In places like India, especially when Sachin played, in a very busy Wankhede stadium, you can’t hear yourself think, and if we ever start to sing, we just get chanted down. It will be interesting to see what happens in this Test,” says Barmy Travel tour manager, Andy Thompson.

“It’s been difficult on this tour because the numbers are down for a lot of different reasons. It’s always very difficult when there is only a few of you. But Mumbai is always a popular destination. So we are expecting a best part of 1,000 people and if we are all together in the same stand, maybe we can make ourselves heard,” he adds.

Mumbai cricket legend Amol Muzumdar feels the Wankhede has traditionally been a very good stadium and indeed a very good ground for Test cricket.

“I feel that it’s a lovely ground to play Test cricket, purely because of the atmosphere, and there is some buzz about it. I am sure it’s going to create the same (atmosphere) this time around too,” he tells Firstpost.

And it is a feeling that the fans share as well.

Faraz Baig, a 31-year-old solutions consultant based in Mumbai, says that there can be no match for the Wankhede. “It’s unique because of the crowd, plenty of noise and plenty of known people who attend. It’s different from attending matches elsewhere (although those places have their positives), and you feel part of a large group watching the match and chanting away,” he says.

“I’ve been to MCG, SCG, Lord’s, Eden Gardens, Chennai and Bangalore to attend Tests but the level of noise which this venue is capable of making is unmatched, day after day for four-five days. So with that in mind, it is exciting to have a chance to experience that again after three years (as in 2013 there was a different mood given that the match was Sachin’s last),” Faraz adds. He has never missed a Test at the Wankhede since 2002.

After Tendulkar’s last Test (which was also his 200th), a few limited overs international matches (an ODI against South Africa and World T20 matches) were hosted at the Wankhede but Test cricket holds a special place in the hearts of Mumbaikars.

“The main difference between T20s and Tests is in the memories you take back,” says Anish. “I have personally watched only one T20I at the Wankhede (against England in 2012).

“T20s get over very fast. You hardly get time to absorb the experience. A Test match is like a novel that goes on for five days. Each day is like a new chapter in a book. I have many happy memories of Test matches that will never fade away, simply because I was able to take in every moment,” adds Anish, who is originally from Mumbai but now settled in Massachusetts.

Such is the level of passion and excitement that Anish has rejigged his India trip so that he can watch the Wankhede match.

“When the schedule of the series was declared, I had to see if I could attend the Test match. I had to change a lot of my plans as I had already made prior commitments with my family. I also had to ask my boss for leave. But it has worked out so far,” Anish says.

“Tests are different. You almost feel like living a lifetime in five days. You set up a routine to come to the ground every day, to chant every day, to follow the delicate twists to the plots with a plot in the match every day. The continuous days can be tiring, it’s hot and humid, yet the excitement pushes you on,” Faraz adds.

While it will be difficult to recreate the Tendulkar swansong atmosphere, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is leaving no stone unturned in attracting crowds.

Ticket prices have been slashed compared to three years ago. The cheapest daily ticket for the match costs Rs 100 while the cheapest season pass comes for Rs 300. In a bid to popularise cricket among school kids, the MCA will provide 3,000 free passes to school and college students.

“We are encouraging school and college children and distributing 3,000 season tickets to those who are already a part of the MCA,” MCA joint secretary Unmesh Khanvilkar tells Firstpost.

“MCA has many school tournaments and those children are given free tickets. We have issued the letters to the schools, and they should write back to us in order to obtain those tickets. We are also taking help of radio channels. During the course of advertisements, they will be giving away tickets to the listeners. A lot of people should come. Our main intention is that attendance should be affordable to the masses. Every person should come and watch the match,” he adds.

The MCA has also planned a series of events, including interaction with former and current Indian cricketers during breaks, to enable spectators to meet and talk to them.

Who says india doesn't care abt test match cricket? This is the line outside the stadium box office for sale of season passes #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/tZasx6gevg

— North Stand Gang - Wankhede (@NorthStandGang) December 5, 2016

There was the familiar sight of long queues at the Mumbai Hockey Association — from where tickets are also sold — three days prior to the Test. The MCA have been actively answering queries on Twitter and the North Stand Wankhede gang — a passionate group of supporters, who form the core of the noisiest stand at the Wankhede, has been adding colour to the build up with nostalgia and banter on Twitter. Dwindling attendances have been a cause of concern in this series, despite India performing well. Rajkot and Mohali saw poor turnouts while the Vizag match was played at the height of inconvenience due to demonetisation. But Mumbai has seldom had problems with attendance numbers in international matches. The city has had decent numbers thronging the stadium on a consistent basis over the years.

People already started queuing up outside Wankhede for tickets. Season tkts for North & Sachin stands available at the box office. #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/LJB8f1SPXF

— Jigar Mehta (@jigsactin) December 5, 2016

“In Mumbai the trend is different. The expectation and liking of the crowd is different. The people of Mumbai love their cricket. Definitely, there will be good turnout but not as good as T20s because it’s a shorter version of the game. We have three holidays in a row (Saturday and Sunday, with Monday also being a bank holiday). If the Test heads to an interesting direction after first two days, we can even expect a full house,” says Khanvilkar.

“Mohali always gets poor turnout for Test matches. I have seen matches at Mohali. It’s painful to sit in the sun for the entire day as the stadium does not have a roof,” says Vipul. “The low attendance in Mohali should not have an impact on Wankhede though. Mumbai has always had good crowds for Test matches,” he adds.

And what about the demonetisation effect? Well, the consensus is that the Mumbaikars will find some way or the other to keep following their passion.

“It’s about (your) liking. Whatever happens, people do spend on their liking. Cricket is a liking-cum-passion (for the Mumbai crowd). So it is a part of everyone’s life. Demonetisation hasn’t occurred in just one part of India, it’s everywhere. People are coping with that. We have online sales too and daily tickets prices are not so high. So it’s quite affordable,” Khanvilkar adds.

Sixty to 65 percent of the season passes have been distributed and sold as on 5 December. And Khanvilkar expects another five to 10 percent increase in the next couple of days.

In 83-years International Cricket in India, first time India will be playing an International game without a Mumbaikar in Mumbai. #INDvENG

— Sampath Bandarupalli (@SampathStats) December 7, 2016

This will be the first time in 83 years that India might play an international match in Mumbai without a local boy. Ajinkya Rahane received a late setback when he was ruled out of the series a day before the Test after being hit on the hand in practice. Local lad Shardul Thakur has been called in as a back-up for Mohammad Shami but there are chances that Bhuvneshwar Kumar might be be favoured for selection. Also, this will be first time since 1993 that India will play a Test in Mumbai without Tendulkar. While the Master Blaster was a major crowd-puller, it will be a different experience altogether for the fans this time around.

“It will be different. But Sachin has left a legacy not just in the form of the runs he scored but made us come to the ground when he was in the team. It has now become an integral part of life, and now even without him, you still don’t want to miss out on the action,” says Faraz.

According to Khanvilkar, despite Tendulkar’s retirement, there are still genuine lovers of Test cricket who would throng the stands to watch a good match. “There are a lot of people who are big fans of Test cricket though this is the era of T20Is and ODIs. There is a good chunk of people who love watching Test cricket,” says Khanvilkar. “They like to see good cricket where runs are scored, wickets scalped over the stretch of five days. You will always have that kind of crowd and hence the excitement will always be there. And Mumbai being the Mecca of cricket (in India), the people who have seen the golden days (of Indian cricket) will come to watch the match again,” he adds.

And how will the pitch play? Ever since the start of the India-England Test series, the talk has been centered on the pitch. However, Rajkot, Vizag and Mohali have produced decent wickets. While there will be pressure on Mumbai to continue the trend, there have been concerns over the Wankhede track over the last couple of years.

Last year, South Africa hammered 438 runs in an ODI. The World T20 earlier this year witnessed high scoring matches. A couple of months ago, a staggering 1,283 runs were scored in a Ranji Trophy match between Maharashtra and Delhi including two triple centuries and a double. This wasn’t the same Wankhede wicket of the old - the true one.

“I think it’s gone a bit flatter,” says Muzumdar. “I don’t know what has happened. Looking at the scores in domestic and Ranji, one match was unbelievable, there were two 300s and and a double hundred in the same match. It’s unheard of. And not to forget last year’s match against South Africa in which they posted 400-odd runs.

“Wankhede has always been known for its red soil surface where there is a little bit for everyone. It keeps everyone honest including the batsman. The ball does move around because it’s very close to the sea and then, once the pitch deteriorates after one or two days, it becomes spinner-friendly. It is an ideal wicket with a little bit of bounce which keeps everyone on the toes. I don’t know what has happened. But hopefully, it will come back to life again. I would love to have the traditional Wankhede pitch back soon,” Muzumdar adds.

Wankhede has always been a ground that has produced results. Out of the 24 matches, 17 have had a winner and a loser. Since the start of the noughties, seven out of eight matches have produced results and the sole draw was the last-ball thriller between India and West Indies in 2011. Despite the concerns over the pitch, Wankhede curator Ramesh Mamunkar says it will be geared towards a result this time around too.

“It will be a result-oriented wicket,” Mamunkar told Firstpost. There will be little bit of bounce. On the first day it will assist some swing but not much and will be good for batting. On the third day, the track will start deteriorating a bit and start assisting the spinners,” he adds.

After a strong start in Rajkot, England have wilted under pressure. They are now in do-or-die situation at 2-0 down in the five-match series. A series win on the cards for India might help to draw in more crowds at the Wankhede.

But England can take confidence from the fact that they have won their last two Tests (2006 and 2012) here. The memories of the loss four years ago, when Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann outspun the hosts and Kevin Pietersen played a blinder, are still fresh in minds of the Indian fans.

Muzumdar feels that past doesn’t matter but England can still try and gain whatever little confidence from the two wins. “If at all England want to get into the series then this should be it,” Muzumdar says.

In a couple of days’ time, the excitement will reach its peak. There will be a group of college boys bursting into the stands through the Marine Lines bridge an hour before the start of play (for no reason). Rhythmic whistles will constantly ring in the ears in the early morning chill. Flag-sellers, face-painters and jersey-sellers will make it a colourful occasion. The Wankhede will again reverberate with chants of ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya’ and the never-dying ‘Sachin, Sachin’. Mumbai will come to a standstill, Wankhede will come to life!