Considering the importance attached to Indo-Pak matches, it was but natural that discussion and debates revolved around the match in every nook and corner of the city.

And had it not been the match timings, it could have turned out to be a `full-day-holiday.' ``The match started at 3 in the afternoon and that is what saved the day. A number of employees had taken a half-day's leave and some worked till the match began,'' said a senior government official.

Those who decided to brave the emotions generated by the match and decided to stay put in the offices were seen fluctuating between the nearby electronic goods showroom, where matches were being shown on television, and their offices. In offices where television sets had been installed, the employees were concentrating more on the Indian progress in the match than on important files.

Though the police was on a state of alert, most of the police stations did not look exactly like that. In some of them televisions had been installed. ``After all it is an India-Pakistan match. Nobody wants to miss the action,'' said a policeman at the Karelibaug police station.

Even some senior government officials were conspicuous by their absence and the show was practically being run by the officials' personal staff, albeit grudgingly.

But what stole the show from others were the local pan gallas where not only the smokers but the passers-by had converged. ``If Indo-Pak matches are held daily, our business is definitely going to pep up,'' quipped Jaidevbhai a pan galla owner in Fatehgunj.