Unmindful of the scorching heat, the cricket loving Hyderabadis savoured the victory of the home team – Sunrisers Hyderabad (SH) – over the much fancied Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Uppal stadium on Wednesday.
The capacity crowd, hoping for a special innings from Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, reserved the loudest cheers from the maestro, as he walked in to bat.
The master did show what he is capable of when he smashed Dale Steyn, the best fast bowler in contemporary cricket, for a couple of boundaries. A battle was on, or so thought the fans.
But, alas the Sachin show fizzled out as he was dismissed cheaply leaving the crowd stunned.
While the game progressed, there was some action in the VIP enclosure as film stars Charmee and Priyamani posed for the lensmen and were even heard asking if the photographers were ‘happy’ with the pose.
As usual vendors continued to fleece crowds selling beverages and snacks at exorbitant rates. This despite the Legal Meteorology wing conducting surprise raids during the second IPL game here.
Dream come true
Meanwhile, it was dream come true for Kondeti Srinivas, an artist from Nalgonda, who finally got a chance to meet Sachin Tendulkar and present a portrait of the maestro engraved on black stone. “It was an unforgettable experience. He was so polite,” said Srinivas.
