The two Australian cricket teams made merry. Not at MCG or at SCG but at New Delhi’s Ferozshah Kotla ground.

By Chandraboli Mitra

One might have thought that a contest between two Australian sides in New Delhi would not generate much interest amongst the Indian public, but for a cricket lover, it was a match to watch out for.

The semi-final encounter between New South Wales and Victorian Bushrangers, consisting of a number of Baggy Green holders, lived up to the expectation as people gathered in large numbers (to everyone's surprise) to watch these two foreign teams play.

Delhi-ites proved New South Wales skipper Simon Katich absolutely wrong. He had said on the eve of the match that he would not be expecting more than 1000-odd people in the stadium. But, as people started pouring into the stands, the players geared up to give their best to the praise-worthy crowd.

The opening pair of the New South Wales - David Warner and Philip Hughes -- set the tone for a big total.

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An outstanding knock of 48 from just 25 balls, studded with seven fours and two sixes, by Warner, who was ably supported by Hughes (35 off 28 balls) at the other end, set the stadium on fire as they helped the team reach 92 for two in just 10 overs.

The duo not only defied the ‘tough to bat-on' Kotla pitch, where it is next to impossible to go for big hits, but also ensured a great entertainment for the spectators.

A huge roar greeted Warner when he hit two boundaries in a row, followed by a six in an over of Peter Siddle, giving a feel as if one was sitting at Sydney Cricket Ground.

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A local Australian journalist expressed his astonishment at the view, saying, "I remember the Twenty20 final match between the same two teams that was played in Sydney last year, which was watched by only about 1000 people."

For the Australian players, it was more than just an extraordinary experience of enjoying an electrifying atmosphere at an Indian stadium without the presence of a single Indian player on the field.

There was no doubt that when these two Australian teams took the field, both were looking to outplay one another because, apart from proving a point on the Indian soil, they knew that just one more game in this tournament would fetch them at least USD 1.3 million, even if they lose in the final of the Airtel CL T20.

Nonetheless, even the losers of the first semi-final match, who have played just five games in the tournament, returned home with a fortune, with their individual income at probably an all-time high.

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But as this tournament is coming to an end, the Aussies now know that it is not just a lump sum amount that they would take home but also a remarkable experience and an assured place for themselves in their respective domestic teams. And who knows, probably even a chance of bagging an IPL contract.

"Some of the players who were in the line of fire earlier this year from the NSW and Bushrangers teams, have managed to play well in this tournament and now it would be difficult to drop them," an Aussie fan pointed out.