Pretty, painted faces armed with their well-heeled parents' complimentary passes had made their entry long before the game began. They all wore hats and caps of various kinds, which the sponsors distribute liberally, not to beat the sun the occasional appearance of which was more welcome than not but to attract the TV cameramen. If cricket is played for TV networks many spectators, too, turn up not only to be `seen' but also in the hope of getting their 15 seconds of fame on TV network.

The crowd may have gone happy with Anil Kumble's Nadia Comaneci-like `Perfect 10'. But there were times, certain sections of the crowd, especially the ones near the main pavilion, were more of a nuisance, who did not deserve to see such a wonderful match. A match that saw India finally finding an opener they can depend on, but one who still yearns for an official India blazer; a game that saw Kumble open a chapter for himself in history books; and a game that will ensure Mohammed Azharuddin will never forget where he was on the eve of his 36th birthday.

For three days, the crowds in Delhi and the police meant to guard it, made this game anything but an entertainment. Body searches on spectators made searches on smugglers seem friendly gestures; so many packs of cigarettes had been `confiscated' that it would be no surprise if there a few new shops emerging in the vicinity soon; add to all that match boxes, biscuit packs and water bottles. You would start wondering, why on the earth do people want to come and see a cricket match in Delhi.

The `vigilant' police allowed chola-bathuras and samosas inside, but not water bottles. Weird logic. But, then the stadium, even in its semi-renovated state, looks like a giant garbage bin. And during lunch and tea intervals there were enough spectators using it just like that. Bonnets of spanking new Maruti Esteems and Honda City cars, parked closeby, served as makeshift tables. Probably, each city gets exactly what it deserves.

There were many in the crowd, who chose show off their love for India by shouting ``Pakistan hai, hai'' and many made it worse by singing, ``Gali, gali mein shor hai, Pakistan chor hai''. If Wasim Akram spoke at length about the warm welcome and the hospitality and the sporting spirit of the Chennai crowds, here in Delhi he mentioned just one sentence of ``Thank You'', which clearly was more out of diplomacy than anything else. Only yesterday, Mian Munir, the associate manager of the Pakistan team, is believed to asked the organisers, the DDCA, to restrain some sections of the crowd, mainly those near the pavilion, which were also trying to provoke Inzamam-ul-Haq by shouting ``Aloo, aloo...''.

Yes, but there were also others, cricket-lovers alright, discussing how umpire AV Jayaprakash had ruined a perfectly good game by unfairly declaring Shahid Afridi out caught behind. A little past 4 p.m., when victory had been achieved and trophies given out, Azharuddin's men bravely decided to take a victory lap. Meanwhile Wasim Akram and his men, wisely chose to just wave and disappear into the safety of the Pavilion.

And the crowd? After cheering Indians and jeering the Pakistanis, the Bittoos and Pappus were back at the Delhi Gate bus stop, pushing and shoving each other for a place on the vehicle's footboard.