Thursday, Apr 25, 2024 | Last Update : 11:59 AM IST
India-Pakistan match keeps Mumbai on edge of its seat
According to fans, they stayed home, rooting for the victory of the Men in Blue over their old foes.
Mumbai: The Champions Trophy group stage match between India and Pakistan at Edgbaston, Birmingham in England kept Mumbaikars glued to their television sets as they opted to watch the match rather than spending their Sunday at the preferred weekend spots like malls, cinemas and roadside eateries.
According to fans, they stayed home, rooting for the victory of the Men in Blue over their old foes. Asked whether the match was being viewed as a war between the two neighbouring nations, there was a mixed reaction wherein some said it was while others said it was best to view it as a cricket match only.
Satish Samant, owner of a juice centre at Matunga circle, anticipated a drop in the number of visitors ahead of the game because of the high interest a match between the two nations generates. “We have regular patrons who come regardless of cricket hence our business is not affected much,” he said.
A roadside pav bhaji eatery owner, Guddu Khapri said that he was expecting a drop of clientele by almost 50 per cent. “During the IPL final our business had dropped by almost 20-30 per cent, but as this match is of high public interest, the number of is expected to be even larger,” said Mr Khapri.
Indian fans paints their faces in tricolour to express their support, in a salon in Dadar. (Photo: Debasish Dey)
As the match progressed and the Indian batsmen made small work of the Pakistani bowling attack, roads seemed deserted as citizens did not take out their vehicles. In fact, cab drivers rued the lack of business due to the match. “There are very few people on the road and even fewer people hiring cabs due to the match,” said Sachin Gupta, a cab driver at Wadala.
The situation was similar at PVR cinema in Kalyan’s Metro Mall. A ticket seller said that while the morning shows saw 75 per cent ticket sales, the afternoon and evening shows did not attract as many eyeballs, probably due to the match.
However, the scene at some of the top malls in the city did not reflect the cricket frenzy.
