Students, teachers, parents of city school pray for Team India

Chennai, Mar 7 (UNI) Team India is gearing itself up for the mega event and the urge to win back the Cup is ''burning brightly'' as Sachin Tendulkar and captain Rahul Dravid showed in the first warm up game against Holland for the World Cup in the West Indies starting on March 13.

Back home cricket fans are also fully backing them signing best wishes on giant cricket bats and othe such gestures. In another such goodwill gesture today, the students in a Matriculation Higher Secondary School in suburban Chrompet performed special poojas and a 'Yagna'.

About 2000 students engaged three priests for performing the 'pooja'for the victory of the Indian team. Students from Vivekananda Vidyalaya, St Paul's Matriclation Higher Secondary and other schools in the area also participated in praying for the success of team India had last won the Cup in 1983, after performing poorly in the first two editions in 1975 and 1979. They missed the opporutunity to win in the 2003 edition losing to ultimate winners Australia in the final.

And as the parents and teachers including the Correspondent of the schools V Santhanam and Principal Mrs S Baby Saroja watched, more than 2000 students signed messages wishing the team's victory on a mega size cut out representing all the players in the Indian team for the Cup.

UNI