Indian cricketers happily pose for pictures with passengers

Indian Cricketers at vadodara airport yesterday resembled a bride and groom, who have to smile for the camera each time a guest comes to wish them at their wedding reception

Indian Cricketers at vadodara airport yesterday resembled a bride and groom, who have to smile for the camera each time a guest comes to wish them at their wedding reception

Harbhajan Singh and Virender Sehwag watch Mahendra Singh Dhoni posing with policemen as another cop extreme right) seeks Sachin Tendulkar's attention at the Vadodara airport yesterday.

Being an Indian cricketer is not easy. There's tremendous pressure to succeed every time you are on the field and even off it, the media is always there, eagle-eyed, following every move, ready to highlight even the smallest of unusual actions.

Such is their state that they can't even travel from one place to another in peace. Yesterday at the Vadodara airport, the team arrived in the afternoon to take a chartered flight to Nagpur, the venue of the second ODI against Australia, and the little waiting area was in chaos as soon as the players started entering the lounge after the security check.

People surrounded Sachin Tendulkar with their camera phones, clicking away as if it was not Tendulkar but his wax statue at Madame Tussauds. Children came up for autographs and men walked with MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh as if they were childhood friends. As soon as one arm left Harbhajan Singh's shoulder after a picture was taken, three more rushed to replace it.

Even the man attending to the snacks bar jumped over the counter and started taking pictures at will with a big smile on his face as if he had just received his biggest increment.

One guy even managed to chat up Dhoni and immediately called someone and started talking about how down to earth the India skipper was and that he has never met someone as humble as him.

Aussies saved
The Aussie cricketers followed the Indians and they too were greeted with a similar reception.

What probably saved them was that with a lot of newcomers in the side, many probably thought it was not a good idea to take a picture with someone and then ask them their name.

With the flight still not ready for departure, the Indian players found a little corner, formed groups and started chatting. Munaf Patel, the local who didn't play in Sunday's series opener, Gautam Gambhir and Amit Mishra sat down facing a few middle-aged women, who immediately pulled out their phones and not only took pictures but also started taking videos.

The cricketers' expressions reminded one of a bride and groom at their wedding reception, who have to smile at the camera for every guest who comes to wish them even when they don't want to, just for the sake of not upsetting anyone. They can't even complain in private, for the video might catch a nasty expression.

What's easier?
One really wonders if playing in front of thousands cheeringu00a0 is much easier for the cricketers than being surrounded by just a few of those fans, putting on that perfect face when all they want to do is sit down and have some peace.

But then, that's life.