In the corner of a foreign field

In the corner of a foreign field, some five thousand miles from home, a cluster of bleary eyed rotund Englishmen sang William Blake’s Jerusalem as Alistair Cook and Andrew Strauss walked out to bat on the first morning of this First Test.

Amid all the uncertainty surrounding England’s tour since the Mumbai terror attacks, there is something comforting in the thought that wherever England walk out onto a cricket field a group of devoted fans will be there in toe. On the first morning, the over-riding feeling amongst these supporters was relief that finally they had some cricket to watch.

The atmosphere outside the ground was both friendly and good humored. As an Englishmen everyone is eager to shake your hand and welcome you to their city. This amicable spirit was also mirrored on the field of play, as the Indian players generously congratulated Andrew Strauss once he had completed his hundred.

Security – such a pervasive issue in the build up to this match - was tight, but not oppressive. The guards range from diminutive teenagers in smart shirts to large mustachioed policemen, who often glare at you from a distance before breaking out into a broad grin and greeting you with “velcome to Chennai”. This said, those charged with vetting what supporters could take into the ground could do with smiling a little more. For some of them sun-cream was deemed threatening, along with bottles of water and opaque carrier bags. Many people had their mobile phones confiscated for the day – although a big screen at the ground asking spectators to text in messages for the players had a constant turnover. The guards frisking can not have been that successful.

If the figures quoted by the press are correct – the five thousand security personnel at the ground comfortably outnumbered the spectators on both the first two days play. However, apart from the presence of a few sporadically placed cops in the crowd, and a group of armed commandos who circled the playing area once a session, their presence was unobtrusive.

As these armed guards looked on, the game progressed serenely enough. The Barmy Army cheered as they always do when an opposition wicket falls, and the Indian crowd gave Sachin Tendulkar his usual electrifying welcome when he walked out to bat. All seemed well with the world now the cricket was back on. Indeed, despite some reservations about it being a lot of fuss over a cricket-match – given the context in which this game is being played – everything seems to be running smoothly.