Chennai and its tryst with thrilling Tests
As the chase got intense the Chepauk started to fill up gradually by afternoon but still it was far from being called jam-packed. One could still figure out the colour pattern of the seats in the stands even during the thrilling final session. As word spread around Chennai about the thrilling chase at Chepauk, the gate money increased but surprisingly there was still space for many more. The late-comers called up friends to inform that tickets and even they were not disappointed when they turned up.
Check with the locals if the Chennai too is becoming another venue where Test cricket fans were gradually decreasing and they reluctantly shake their heads. They do confess that the 'house full' Tests was a thing of the past but still watching the game from the stands wasn't yet passé.
Proud about the long history of interesting games witnessed at Chepauk, they say unlike outsiders, the cricket-crazy Chennaites are quite used to final day thrills and spills. A glimpse of the recent history of the game in this region shows that Chennai has witnessed three very exciting final days. One went India's way, the other they lost and the third ended in a tie.
In these parts the cricket fans have got a feel of the all the emotions that go with an intense game. India and Australia were locked at the same score in 1986 while 13 years later India lost a heart-breaking game falling short by 14 runs against Pakistan.
But the one game
