Look at it another way. Were a Ranji game to be in progress at, say, Bangalore’s Chinnaswamy stadium, were Rahul Dravid to be batting to save Karnataka, with Punjab’s Harbhajan Singh making the dust fly on the mid-day track, and were the stands to be crammed with cheering crowds, would we watch? Of course. This is what they who run the game do not care about: that even for a television audience, the atmospherics in the stadium makes the difference. But to ensure that the stands are occupied in anticipation of that moment when the match turns interesting, the organisers need to make it worth the spectators’ while.

The IPL seemed to understand; the franchisees so dependent on city loyalties, it was hoped, would be mindful of the spectators’ comforts and allegiances. It was a hopeful sign because once established, those allegiances — not partisan allegiance but one derived from a connection to the ground — could be extended to reverse the dwindling attendance at Test matches. Clearly that hope was misplaced. That’s not what the game is about.

mini.kapoor@expressindia.com