India generate passion and emotions here all the way

Port of Spain, Mar 13 (UNI) India generate a kind of emotion and passion here which is unheard and unseen outside the sub-continent and as the former chamions are set to play all their group league matches of the cricket World Cup in this picturesque capital city of Trinidad and Tobago, excitement is reaching a new high.

''The Indians are here,'' screamed Daily Express, captioning a full-length front page photograph of skipper Rahul Dravid and key batsman Sachin Tendulkar on arrival at the Hilton Trinidad hotel.

The Men in Blue have thus gone from the extreme north of the Caribbean confederation to the extreme south. Only Georgetown in Guyana is farther of Trinidad, and the weather is relatively warmer, as is the warmth of the welcome for Indians of all kinds.

On landing here, Dravid said the Indians would be taking it one game at a time. Pooled in Group B alongside Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Bermuda, Dravid added that he hoped his team could emulate the 1983 Cup-winning side led by Kapil Dev.

''We're looking forward, just take one game at a time, make sure we get through the first round to start with,'' he said.

The Indians, however, will hope for a smoother journey on the cricket field than they had in their bus to the Hilton from the airport. Even as they set off on the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway, one of the team buses coasted to a halt forcing the procession of vehicles -- including police escort cars and an empty contingency vehicle -- to pull over.

''Maan, we are for India,'' said most of the local people who were outside the hotels trying to have a look at the Indian players.

''The West Indies don't look too good, do they? They got cut badly by India up in Jamaica,'' they said.

UNI