Semi-final brings city to a halt

Mar 31, 2011 |

Age Correspondent

New Delhi

All the hype, on and off the ground, wishful spectators, armchair experts, people with opinions changing with each delivery and empty roads on the capital on a hot Wednesday afternoon. The India-Pakistan semi-final match took a vice-like grip on the city and the Delhi government obliged by declaring a half-day holiday, allowing people to catch up with the match.

All Delhi government departments were shut after 1.30 pm. It was the same in the corporate world all across. The evidence of the tremendous interest the match had generated was everywhere to be seen. Queries revealed that those who would return in the late evening hours not having enough time for their family had “finished” their tasks and back home by 1 pm. “I left house early around 7 am and finished by job by 12 noon,” said a software professional. Many restaurants tried to cash in on the moment offering their patrons a chance to watch the match on large screens.

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