Will Queen's Park Oval prove lucky for India again?

Port of Spain, Mar 22 (UNI) Will the Queen's Park Oval prove to be India's happy hunting ground yet again? This is a 'million dollar' question which now haunts the minds of every single Indian cricket lover.

Though the 'men in blue' lost their first group match against Bangladesh here, they bounced back strongly with a World record win and World Cup record total against less formidable Bermuda.

The venue here is considered to be a part of Indian cricket folklore like Mumbai's 'Wankhede' or Chennai's 'Chepauk'. It is in this ground where India recorded its historic 6-wicket victory against West Indies led by Clive Lloyd in 1975-76 chasing a mammoth total of 402.

It is also the venue where little master Sunil Gavaskar made his Test debut in 1971 and started on road to becoming India's greatest Test batsman. His 124 and 220 in the first Test of the 75-76 Caribbean series is considered as one of the most memorable performances in Indian cricketing history.

Gavaskar, later followed it up with 156 in the first innings of the second Test and 102 in the third Test of the series.

So when one steps a foot on India's luckiest ground away from home, crores of Indian cricket fans will be fervantly praying and hoping that against Sri Lanka on Friday this ground turns lucky for them.

The Qeen's Park Oval is home to the Queen's Park Cricket Club sinnce 1896. There is the old Concrete Stand or the Learie Constantite Stand, the grassy ban that was the assigned place for the famous Trini Posse - so much so that the bank itself came to be known as the Trini Posse stand. Then of course you have the Northern Hills in the backdrop. But alas, the newly renovated stadium didn't look at all like the one we remembered while growing up, listening and reading about India's exploits there.

The hills are barely visible as the two new concrete structures with two tiers have covered the entire view. Still the stadium looks modern and colourful, but the laid back charm is missing. The Trini Posse stand where the crowds play music, drink rum and beer is no longer an open grassy hill. It has instead been converted into a concrete stand.

Adding salt to the wound for music lovers in cricket stadiums, the ICC too has put restrictions on music and steel bands asking them to take written permission before entering the ground. But, somewhere along the lines, while modernisation is fine, the spirit of the venue has been snatched away.

But at present all those things are not in the minds of either Indian players or their fans. They just want a win so that their hopes of witnessing their side revive the 1983 glory doesn't fade away.

Eventually, what this venue holds for India only will be known on Friday evening.

UNI