Thus reads the scoreboard inside the Wankhede stadium. Public expectation is really high. But where do we go from here?

To infuse the spirit of the 1983 victorious Indian squad into the present World Cup team, a match was played at the Wankhede today between Kapil's Devils and Azhar's aspirants. The game was also intended as a benefit for Ramnath Parkar and the late Raman Lamba.

But it wasn't just a contest of cricket, given the 25,000-30,000 strong crowd at the stadium, the hype surrounding the event and the participation of numerous celebrities. The invitees included the big names of the city, including Amitabh Bachchan, Gul Panag (Miss India), Mandira Bedi, Sangeeta Bijlani, and former Chief Minister and Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) president Manohar Joshi.

And the support for the 1983team was tremendous, with one of the banners urging Kapil's men: `Kill them, Tigers.'

The show started when two TV artistes, Ashish Vidyarthi and Shekhar Suman, played their jokes with spectators to lighten the mood. Soon, singer Abhijit, Sukhwinder, Anaida and Shamak Davar were on one end of the ground, and Mohinder Amarnath and Kirti Azad on the other. The duo did Bhangra with kids on the ground.

Then the two skippers, Kapil Dev and Mohammad Azharuddin, landed into the stadium in a helicopter. The helicopter's arrival invited huge cheers from the excited crowd.

For some of the spectators, it was a privilege while others observed it as a circus. Amitabh Bachchan commented: ``I am a guest here. I have loved cricket but never had a opportunity and privilege to be invited. This is the first time I am here and I am happy.'' When Bachchan went down to the ground to wish the 1999 team good luck, crazy Bachchan fans were almost falling on to the ground.

A 60-year-old man sitting in the stands, however,wondered aloud: ``Where is the cricket, this is just a circus!'' When cricketing matters finally began, Kapil Dev won the toss and asked Azharuddin's team to bat first. The crowd was again in for a treat, with Sachin Tendulkar blasting stars bowlers of yesteryear all around the ground to score a fine hundred with three sixers and 13 boundaries.