Onwards To London!

From the fragrance of Indian spices at the Oval to Virat Kohli’s kind gesture after Steve Smith’s dismissal and Rohit Sharma’s quips after the Pakistan match... Our diary from the second fortnight of the World Cup.

- K. C. Vijaya Kumar

The World Cup is abuzz despite news of the fickle English weather draping rainon key games. The Indian cricket caravan, meanwhile, moves to London for the big game against defending champion Australia at the Oval on June 9. Yuzvendra Chahal of the wispy frame, chess-loving brain and with the gift of the gab, shoots short videos of his teammates in transit. The asides are humorous, the anecdotes candid and there are guffaws all around. A picture popsupon socialmedia and it shows someof the Men in Blue striking a pose in front of their bus on the motorway snaking through lush green countryside.

If Virat Kohli’s men are on the move, their shadow-men, consisting of a massive Indian media contingent, cannot be too far. Trains, buses and the London underground are all used as a few tired sports scribes tumble into their Airbnb flat on Brixton Road close to the Oval. The area has a distinct Afro-Caribbean flavour. Money-transfer outlets have pictures of hammocks tied between two coconut trees and with perhaps a Jamaican swigging his favourite potent brew on a sunny beach. The pubs hark back to reggae and a molasses-inspired drink. A fellow hack has his birthday and despite a larynx throttled by a cold, hearty toasts are raised.

Busy venue, Kohli’s kind gesture