Is India really cricket-crazy?

I can’t believe how few people have been watching the Test in Mohali. Each day I hope it will get better, but it hasn’t. When reading about India it’s "cricket mad this", "fanatical that". Not in Tests in the Punjab. At times during this match it has made a sparse crowd in Hobart, Australia’s smallest venue, seem gigantic.

The first day was the saddest, when so few saw Sachin Tendulkar’s record, but by Sunday, a holiday and with India well on top, there were only a sprinkling of supporters in the morning. Throughout the day there was a gradual build up, but the ground was still barely half full. One reason for so many free seats is that Chandigarh is a small city by India’s standards (Mohali, a suburb, has a population of about one million!) and the well-equipped stadium is a 20-minute drive from the centre.

Another is Twenty20. This stadium apparently bounces at capacity when the Kings XI Punjab play in the Indian Premier League. It’s shocking to experience such a different atmosphere for a Test in a series that now rivals the Ashes in prestige. Here it’s like the locals have been introduced to Formula One and no longer have time to watch cycling.

In Bangalore the crowds were noisy and the Saturday was a fabulous day, but to me something is still missing in India. I saw Greg Chappell walking along the beach in Goa a few years ago and expected him to be swamped by fans. More people were trying to sell me beads than talk to him. The love of Indians for cricket is not a myth, but so far I’m finding it’s greatly exaggerated.