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Day 3 started after a fitful nights sleep on the train to Hyderabad. Beds a little hard but main problem was that being in 1st class air-conditioning sounds good but it puts us next to the engine, the driver and his horn. I think there was a good 2 or 3 minutes in the night he didn't use but I am not sure it was that long.
Fought our way out of the sea of humanity that is an Indian railway station and into our first tut tut ride of Hyderabad. again as with many places diver set off with a gusto only to drift to a holt with no idea of where he was going. picked up some random stranger who claimed he knew where it was and off we went. eventually spotted the place and with much hand waving crossed three lanes of oncoming traffic without so much as a touch of the brakes and in. 150 Rs for the driver and 2$ for the stranger. must stop spending these large amounts of money.
Managed to check in early and slap up curried breakfast before the three S's an feeling much more human.
Off to get the IPL tickets, again much negotiation with Toot Toot drivers assurances they new exactly where they where going and off we o in a cloud of exhaust fumes. 1/2 an hour later he's asking some random hotel security guard where the training ground is, not to worry we find it eventually. big scrum around two little windows set about 5ft off the ground. held my booking in the air and waved it at the window across the sea of heads, the officers hand stuck out pointed and waived me over, two precious tickets handed over.
Meanwhile our driver had decided to wait for us, we asked to take us to a bar by the lake so we could have a beer with a view. No problem and took off at pace. Wound up at a bar at the back of the building site, OK well. Driver then claimed the ride was $60, we all had a good laugh and eventually handed over $10. Walked into the bar and instantly walked out again, pitch black with TV pictures of young ladies dancing and a dimly lit stage. we high tailed to much better bar around the corner where the bar tender regaled us with stories of his time in London selling Blackberries. Marginally more interesting once we realised it was fruit not phones.
Back outside and decided to go back to hotel for lie down, worked out the hotel was only across the road, however the road was two sets of three way traffic (so nominally 6 lanes but with bikes and Tuk Tuks make that 13 with the centre two sets lane divisions being a loose rope) so Put Put ride it was. however once more he managed to get lost, us being locals now, managed to direct him back on track and to the hotel.
Booked a taxi this time as to much like hard work to argue with Turk Tuk. After usual wondering around and helpful Indians found our way to the first security check point, bizarrely had to through away our pens (mightier than a sword) and convince them Robs anti mosquito bracelet wasn't a leather weapon. Also had to convince them my mobile was switched off, this is very odd as removing an Indian from his mobile is slightly harder than removing both his arms, although the iPhone can be voice activated.
Got all the build up much excitement, both teams came out and then it rained. Covers on, covers off, covers on and after an hour covers off and play started. Enjoyed the spectacle, but I think the Hyderabad Sunrisers would have preferred the covers to have stayed on all night. We left when the rain came back with the RPS needing 30 runs off 12 overs with 8 wickets still. Not even England could through that away.
Found our man in the Marigold taxi and wiped back to our room and bed at 1am. Another restful 19 hour day.
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