It is one of those strange things that, in all the years I have been coming to India, I have never actually seen any live cricket. And so, I've made my way to the Wankhede Stadium, between the commercial hub and the sea, to catch the last session of the first day's play.
For the visitors, the match means relatively little, as they qualified easily for the quarter-finals, but for Mumbai, the traditional giants of Indian domestic cricket, it is a must win game, following an erratic season. Losing their opener to the minnows of Jammu & Kashmir, at home, no less, set the tone, and an inexperienced batting line-up has struggled to impose itself.
The stadium itself is almost deserted, despite free admission - there are probably no more than 350 people in a stadium that seats over 60,000 - and the seats are thick with dust, reflecting just how grim the air quality in the city is. It's noisy too, with the railway into Churchgate rattling by just behind me, and plenty of traffic noise too.
Mumbai batted first, and were 230-5 when I arrived, just before the tea interval, and have pushed on since, knowing that their best chance is to make quick runs and give themselves as much time as they can to break down a strong Karnataka batting side. Even the new ball appears to be making little difference, as the sixth wicket partnership accelerates, making their runs at more than four an over.
So, all in all, not a bad day for the home side - even the local sea eagles, perched on top of the Vijay Merchant Stand, seem to approve. We'll see though...
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