Melbourne: The MCG, that familiar, shiny concrete cauldron in which so much cricketing folklore is brewed, stands forlorn on the eve of the World Cup final.
The colosseum is sun-baked on Saturday but the forecast is grim on match day, for 100% rain, meaning ticket counters are largely devoid of those heartbroken, last-minute hopefuls who always provide the pulse to a contest.
The fan zone is only a slightly peppier affair, all manufactured effect, food carts, smells and babies in prams. Forgotten melodies meld into wistful glances. Everyone present here breaks into a painful, embarrassed, knowing nod.
There will be rain and there will be no India-Pakistan final either and it's all absolutely unfair and it shows in their faces, especially those of the Pakistani fans! This is a far cry from the whirlwind-riding fervour, all colour and passion and pulsing heartbeat, which so memorably invaded these hallowed grounds just last month.
Had it not been for the rain forecast, England versus Pakistan, with dollops of once-in-a-generation dynamism on either side, would have stirred passions like no other.
Jos Buttler's mighty England side is still the stronger team on paper, possessing as much 'junoon' as the vibe-fuelled, fortune-favored, magic-weaving, god-fearing Pakistani outfit.
Denne historien er fra November 13, 2022-utgaven av The Times of India Mumbai.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 13, 2022-utgaven av The Times of India Mumbai.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
US soccer scrubs Islamic emblem from Iran flag
The federation said in a statement Sunday that it decided to forego the official flag on social media accounts to show “support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights.”
Pyar Ke Saat Vachan Dharam Patnii begins on TV tonight
What happens when kismet takes over the lives of two couples belonging to two different sections of society?
Arijit serenades music lovers in Mumbai
Arijit Singh casts a spell with his voice
ARGENTINA LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY
Messi's Strike Rattles Mexico And Lusail, Brings Team Back From The Brink
Costa Rica come alive
Los Ticos Stun Japan With Late Fuller Winner
Morocco's moment under the sun
Inspired Atlas Lions Shock Belgium For First WC Win In 24 Years
ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, SOAR
Athletics Icon Usha Set To Become First Woman President Of IOA
Industry body calls for slower rate hikes
CII Asks RBI To Moderate Pace Of Raising Repo As Global Woes May Impact Growth
Insurance reforms may see PE funding surge in sector
Irdai Raises Investment Cap, Allows PEs To Be Promoters
Cut ties with child-killing regime, Khamenei's niece tells world, held
Iranian authorities have arrested a niece of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei after she recorded a video describing the authorities led by her uncle as a “murderous and child-killing regime”.
