India vs Australia Mohali Test: M S Dhoni and co check

Thanks, but no thanks

Sudhir Gautam, the manic India fan, often cycles across states to get to the next match. When he reaches the city in concern, he sleeps at parks, borrows money, eats little and worships the cricketers. On practice days, before the team bus pulls in, Gautam is already present at the stadium gates, waiting to welcome them in with the furling and unfurling of that gigantic India flag of his. All through the session, he waves it non-stop. Sometimes, when the occasion calls for it, he trades the tri-colour for the conch. On Tuesday, as the Indian team got into a huddle, Gautam decided that this was the lung-bursting moment — only to be shushed by the entire Indian team. Coach Duncan Fletcher, who had initiated the huddle, couldn't be heard apparently. It's hard to imagine what he must have thought through the variations of ‘Abey, chup kar’, but it couldn't have been far from “So much for a thank you note”.

Hindi 1, Tamil 1

Murali Vijay cannot speak Hindi. Ishant Sharma doesn't understand Tamil. Witnessing the two of them

... contd.