Maybe, nothing has changed.
If one were to go by the turnout at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, where Sunrisers Hyderabad took on Rajasthan Royals, Hyderabadis seemed to have left the spot-fixing scandal behind. The Rajasthan Royals, scarred by the involvement of three of its players in the episode, took the field first and were greeted to loud cheers. Cricket must move on, they seemed to convey.
“Well, no one welcomes such disrepute being brought to the game. But we still hope to see true cricket played in its original spirit,” said Ravinder Reddy.
The body language of the Dravid-led Royals suggested they were in the mood to prove a point. Left-armer Faulkner’s early scalps proved they meant business.
It was not as though everything was hunky-dory; there were still a few grim faces. Yet, the message is clear – the game goes on as the genuine fan in the street still loves it.
