The Chepauk cricket ground in Chennai has witnessed quite a few iconic games over the years, from India’s first Test victory in 1952 against England to the thrilling 1986 tied Test between India and Australia and, subsequently, some of Sachin Tendulkar’s best Test hundreds.
As much as the venue is known for these matches, it also became associated with having the most sporting crowd in the country, which was best symbolised when the Pakistan team received a standing ovation after beating India in a thrilling Test match in 1999.
That moment has become an integral part of the stadium’s rich history, so much so that when the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association recently refurbished the stadium, a mural of the Pakistan team taking a lap of honour was put up on the walls of the MAC B ground, which houses the nets facility.
As Pakistan prepared for its World Cup game against Afghanistan, the mural received a lot of attention from the players as they walked to the net facility, and there was the belief that the team could take inspiration from it at a venue where it has done well historically.
On Monday, a similarly sporting crowd turned up in large numbers and enthusiastically appreciated good cricket and both teams equally, with every boundary and wicket being greeted with the same raucousness. However, Pakistan looked like a pale shadow of the sides that travelled here in the past, while the Afghanistan team produced one of its best performances.
Chasing 283, the Afghan top-order went about the job with clinical efficiency, attacking in the PowerPlay before consolidating through the middle phase and getting the job done without letting the prospect of an impending historic win overwhelm them.
After that presentation ceremony, the Afghan team members took a lap of honour around the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, with the more than 20,000 people giving a standing ovation after witnessing history being made, giving the victors the adulation they deserved just as they did 24 years ago.
