No gain, no pain

"Netherlands close in on famous win." That was the headline on Cricinfo when I checked the website in a fellow journalist's room at the Holiday Inn Express. It took a couple of moments to register and then we were bolting towards the lobby - the rooms don't have Sky - to catch the last seven balls, off which Netherlands needed nine to beat Engand at Lord's in the opening game of the World Twenty20, in a format that was invented in this country.

The cricket was thankfully on - the interest in the tournament has been lukewarm - but there were only a handful of people watching it. I couldn't be sure if they were hardcore cricket fans or not, for each of Stuart Broad's three missed run-outs and the tough dropped catch barely brought a reaction from them. Even when Netherlands upset the hosts, because of an overthrow off the final ball, there was no outburst, no outpouring of emotion. The people just dissipated. It was a pretty pallid reaction to one of England's most humiliating defeats ever.

We do things differently in India. Every slip-up that led to such a defeat would have been cursed by the majority of watchers - groans and profanities uttered by sheer instinct. The defeat would have rankled for hours, days, and for some, even weeks. Effigy sales would have increased, and a house or two might have been stoned as well. Heck, there was a crowd of people peering into a travel agent's office in Kozhikode, in Kerala, India, at 10.30pm, cheering on Adam Gilchrist as he tore apart the Delhi Daredevils a few weeks ago. At the risk of generalisation, I think the majority of Indians take things more personally, which makes them more likely to react.

There was evidence of that earlier in the day, when all 15 members of the Indian team, their managing and coaching staff and their pet dogs presented a united front to deny reports of a rift between the captain and the vice-captain. MS Dhoni led his charges in front of the media, read out a handwritten statement professing oneness and pushed off without taking questions.

For a brief while the press had been contemplating the problem of plenty, and now we had nothing. Well, almost. The British press seemed amused by it all. It was hard to imagine Ricky Ponting, Graeme Smith leading their teams in such an emotional act.

***

I went to an Indian restaurant for dinner: terrific hospitality but average food. Mohammad Ashraful made an appearance as well. Wonder if he saw and drew inspiration from Netherlands' win. I'm pretty sure they have Sky in their hotel rooms.

Friday night in Nottingham is boisterous. We're given advertisements for a pub selling drinks at a pound each. On the flyer, lager is spelt as "larger" and entry is "enrty". And then it begins to rain. So I decide to come home and write this instead.