Dancing girls are an essential feature at T20 games but the organisers seem to have forgotten that they should be strictly kept off the playing area. The entertainers dressed in all black at the AMI Stadium were a major distraction on Wednesday. They danced right inside the playing area between overs and whenever wickets fell or fours and sixes were hit, and took their own time to leave the ground after those joyful jigs much to the delight of the spectators.

Ishant Sharma was once stopped mid-way through his run-up by the umpire and had to wait for the ‘sweethearts’ to sashay off the field. On another occasion, Irfan Pathan had sent down the delivery which was thankfully not played towards the square leg boundary where the ‘black bunch’ was still camping!

Music at a Twenty20 game is to be expected but the Indians were pleasantly surprised by the Hindi songs being belted out of the high-wattage speakers at the AMI Stadium on Wednesday night. Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir walked in to open the innings with Bach Ke Tu Rehna… Khallaas playing in the background even as one wondered the Kiwis were being warned.

The rhythmic Jhoom bara bar too was a big hit and had the high-spirited crowd swaying to the beat. But, by the time Mauja Hi Mauja started there was not much to cheer for India.

— K. Moses