I am back after watching the IPL game between Delhi and Bangalore at the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium. Not heeding the advice of the elders, my misadventure began when I adamantly decided to take everyone to the stadium in the car which was parked at CP already. The other 2 gentlemen, told me to take an auto. Ferozshah Kotla is about 3 km from CP. It took us an hour to get there and that too when I decided I had made a mistake and none should suffer on my account. I dropped the other guys at the stadium and decided to look for parking space nearby. There was none and I inadvertently ended up at, wait for it, Outer Circle, CP. I then reached the stadium when already one over had been bowled.
Moral: Never EVER take your car to the Delhi cricket stadium unless you plan to reach the stadium at least four hours early.
The Surreal Cricket Match
When you see a cricket match in the stadium, the experience can be surreal and at the same time a touch disappointing. Surreal probably because the match was being played under lights and not because of any other reason. The aura of the players completely vanishes. Chris Gayle will look like an exchange student and nothing more. The ground looks much smaller than what it looks on TV. There is no commentary. And no incident seems like a big deal. For example, the sixes don’t look as good as they do on TV. You don’t feel as shocked when the batsman gets out and some of the antics of the players seem a little “done for the camera”. This includes the dismissal celebrations as well as centuries. Also, you don’t even realize that a particular player has scored so many runs. The strategic time out feels very short and dare I say, useful.
Our Mind Plays a Trick
When you are looking at the match on the TV, you are basically looking at a two dimensional picture where you can focus your mind better. The score, the batting, the bowling the fielding and everything else happens in a very limited space and maybe that’s why you can keep a track of everything. In the stadium, everything happens in 3 dimensions where it is difficult to focus on batsmen, bowlers, fielders, and the score all at the same time. In the last game, Chris Gayle smashed a number of 6s and yet it was difficult to comprehend how he managed to score a century. Ross Taylor was smashing the ball everywhere and yet you got the feeling he smacked only a few balls out of the ground. RCB scored 216 runs and yet, you didn’t “feel” the score was too big. Delhi could not chase the total. You couldn’t care less.Gayle scored a century. You would stand up and clap but wont really feel it. And if you want to see the cheer girls from up close, do not buy an expensive ticket.
So given a choice would I rather see a game at the stadium or watch it on TV? I think in spite of all its flaws, I will still prefer the stadium. 
. It’s just too damn surreal. But yes, the game is definitely meant for the TV.