New Zealand and Canada will clash in a league match, the first to be hosted at Wankhede post renovation, on Sunday. The game will begin at 9.30 am IST and those who had started missing the city's cricketing epicentre will find that it's business as usual on 'D' road.
There might not be many takers for this game because of the teams involved and there aren't many tickets available for the paying public either. A lathi-charge can well be expected when the stadium hosts the grand final on April 2. But for now, one cannot help but spare a thought for Wankhede - a far more modern avatar of what was once a concrete jungle for a good 33 years.
In a way, the New Zealand-Canada match is a dress-rehearsal for bigger things to come at this venue in due course. Yet, political correctness demands that this World Cup match gets its share of importance. Technically, it is the first 'big' game Wankhede is hosting after the renovation and therefore the pitch, the outfield, stands, dressing rooms, corporate and media boxes - facilities per se - will create a fresh impression in the minds of those who arrive. The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) will keep fingers crossed hoping that the effect is positive.
New Zealand's stand-in skipper Ross Taylor feels "the wicket is interesting." Just in case he's spoken to a few locals, he'll realise he's not off the mark. Former Mumbai captains Dilip Vengsarkar and Sudhir Naik also feel the same.
"It is looking very good," says Vengsarkar, one of Mumbai's most famous cricketing surnames. How good the wicket is, it's for New Zealand and Canada to show. Sunday's game will be a big indicator of what to expect when Wankhede hosts the final. The new stadium has four diagonal slits across the stands for air ventilation which could make the play early on interesting. The Wankhede wicket has always had that extra bounce which most venues across India find missing. The outfield will reveal itself only when the match begins and for the paying public, Sunday will be for reviews.
"There's no point talking about those controversies (which surrounded Wankhede until recently). Let's look at the positives. It's a world class venue," says an official.
On Sunday, the world will get its first chance to witness that class.
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