Fans turn up in huge numbers ahead of MCG blockbuster

You always want a piece of him. He is the centre of attention when he enters the arena. He is the topic of endless conversation when he is not around.

He is Virat Kohli. Hero of many a great white-ball battles with Pakistan in the last decade.

Kohli didn't turn up for practice on Friday and many went home a tad disappointed.

But on Saturday, around 1000 odd Indian fans had surrounded the MCG "Training Well".

As Kohli entered the training ground, the decibel level reached its crescendo.

He took guard and started his net session with full-on intensity.

In between hoards of Indian fans, there was a sizeable number of Pakistani supporters, and one of them decided to try some funny sledging.

"Ae Viraaat. Ae Viraat. Zara Babar Azam ke tarah straight drive maarke dikhao (Virat, just try and play the straight drive like Babar)."

If you thought that you have seen it all, another mischievous (in a funny endearing way) bunch of Pakistani fans got hold of a mini speaker and, bang in the midst of Indian fans, started playing the country's iconic Pakistani band Vital Signs' patriotic number, 'Dil Dil Pakistan'.

But the moment the motley bunch started its "Pakistan Jeetega" slogans, they were heavily outnumbered and out-shouted by Indians.

Funny rendition of 'Parde Mein Rahne Do'

It is very difficult to notice Bhuvneshwar Kumar in a team of superstars but a group showed enough creativity to customise Asha Bhosle's 1960s chartbuster 'Parde Mein Rahne Do' from the movie Shikar.

"Bhuvi ko khelne do, Bhuvi ko na Chupao."

It was hilarious and some of the support staff couldn't control their chuckles.

However, it will still take some doing to beat the Pakistani customisation of 'Balaji zara dheree chalo' (Babuji zara dheere chalo) during India's Tour of Pakistan in 2004, whenever Lakshmipathy Balaji would come onto bowl.

Srikkanth mobbed at MCG

Many companies have made cricket tourism a business with fans paying a bomb to watch an India versus Pakistan game and also get a feel of a world city like Melbourne.

One such group literally mobbed former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth, who doesn't get half of this attention when he is hanging around Indian stadiums, or moving around in his hometown Chennai. May be a couple of selfie seekers but nothing more or nothing less.

But Srikkanth, who is here as part of the regional (Tamil) commentary team of the host broadcasters, saw a frenzy among fans, and he had to tell them that he has a show to record.