By IANS,
Mumbai : Enthusiastic cricket fans, vigilant security officers, giants screens at restaurants and bars, packed hotels, Mumbai was buzzing with uncontainable excitement before the start of the World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka.Mumbai and other Maharashtra cities woke up to a sunny day. With the Maharashtra government already declaring it a special public holiday, private offices also followed and declared it a half working day.
Road traffic in Mumbai was noticeably thin as the city’s millions preferred to watch the most awaited match on TV sets in the comfort of their homes.
Most city hotels were fully reserved ahead of the final and the restaurants and pubs put up giant screens in anticipation of high footfalls.
The usually crowded tourist spots wore a deserted look. “This will be compensated when India wins the match and the entire nation celebrates by taking to streets. It will be a Diwali in April,” said Krishnamurthy S.K., a cricket fan.
The scenario was the same in other cities like Pune, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Jalgaon, Kolhapur and Sholapur.
South Mumbai has turned into a fortress as several teams of Mumbai Police, the National Security Guards, Maharashtra’s elite Force One, Rapid Action Force, State Reserve Police Force and Quick Response Team were maintaining strict vigil at the Wankhede Stadium.
National and state intelligence agencies also were keeping a close watch in and around this western megapolis, which was a target of terrorist attack only over two years ago.