India-Forums.TV

[Priya]

Steve Waugh wore his battered Baggy Green until he played his last Test match against India at Sydney in 2004. That was a good 18 years and 168 matches of toil in the field. That the former Australian captain treasures his first Aussie cap can be understood from the fact that he even got his weather-beaten cap redone.

Waugh’s passion could well rub off on the current cricketers as well. It was Cameron White’s turn on Thursday to feel pride at owning the cap. The Victoria skipper became the 402nd player to don the Baggy Green and the honour was done by Australian chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch, before the start of day’s play.

White was over the moon as he warmed-up with his most-prized memorabilia.

Dada’s Army

The countdown to Sourav Ganguly’s retirement has already begun. In exactly a month’s time, Dada will bid adieu to international cricket. And it’s not just the Kolkata crowd that will miss the former India captain, but also his Bengaluru fans.

His popularity here was apparent when a banner which read "Dada never retires from our heart" was put up at the BEML end. There were quite a few placard-waving, die-hard fans of Ganguly, who kept shouting his name as he was posted at the third-man boundary. Ganguly, of course, in his inimitable style, responded to them. With the other three Tests scheduled for Mohali, Delhi and Nagpur, Ganguly might never play another international match at the Eden Gardens but the crowds in the country will make sure he doesn’t miss it.

Strong support

Any international cricket match in Bengaluru brings in a sizeable crowd. On Thursday, the spectators albeit late, due to Vijaya Dashmi festivities, thronged the stadium to witness the first match of the much-awaited clash between the two top, feisty teams in world cricket. A good 20,000 people watched the first day’s proceedings. However, the organisers claims of tickets being ‘sold out’ proved to be an exaggeration.