You need not go to a stadium to hear Indian cricket fans voice their support for the home side. A stand at the arrival gate of the Indira Gandhi International Airport this afternoon would have served the same purpose as the Pakistanis trooped out.
"India, India", chanted the fans, greeting the 15-member tourists' squad at the airport, here on their month and-a-half long tour.
It was a trifle strange. Standing at the arrival gates for a brief moment it seemed as if one was waiting to greet the team in Lahore or Karachi. Security was heavy, the sound deafening, and people were present in hundreds.
They had their posters held up high and the Pakistani flags waving-these were children form the Pakistani Embassy here, accompanied by officials-some holding their notepads hoping that someone in wearing a green blazer would oblige them with an autograph.
The team arrived at 4.30pm, and after a small welcome reception at the airport-the whole thing must have taken just half an hour-they moved towards their team bus and were escorted to the team hotel by two pilot cars, 40 minutes after they had landed.
Though the arrival was uneventful, with no major incidents, the moment the team came out of the gates, the decibel level of the crowds trebled, sending the press photographers and the public present there into a frenzy.
There were wires and ropes around the team bus that was guarded by over two-dozen guards, but not even Delhi's finest could stop the people from crossing these 'barriers' to get near to the bus for a glimpse of their stars.
Chaos was averted, though, with the players having boarded the bus quickly.
Members of the DDCA were there to greet the players, but they were in such a hurry to get into the bus that captain Shoaib Malik took the bouquet in his stride.
It was as strong a welcome as was expected for a high profile tour.
Pakistan play their first one-day international in Guwahati on November 5
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