India's away woes continued unabated, but, amid the parochial WACA Ground crowd, there were few who tried to make MS Dhoni & Co feel at home - even wearing traditional Indian attire, sherwani kurtas, turbans, scarves… the lot. Not that it's something special to lift the spirits of the beleaguered bunch. It's merely a continuation of a tradition that has seen them dress in attire of the visiting team.
For the last five years, Panther Corp, a Perth-based company that assists startups find their footing in the business world, has an annual 'Cricket Day', where on the first day of a Test match at the WACA, they book the temporary stand erected adjacent to the John Inverarity Stand and invite clients to enjoy some cricket, beer and grub. Graeme Matcham, a director with Panther Corp, explains: "It started during the 2006 Ashes Test. We dressed in 1960s psychedelic floral prints. It's something you would've seen The Beatles dress in around the time they recorded Revolver.
"The last time India came in 2008, we wore short kurtas. Before that when SA were here, we wore safari suits and hats," says Matcham. The one that's closest to the bunch, however, was the outfit when West Indies played here in 2009.
This stand had an Indian theme with posters of the Taj Mahal, a fake snake in a basket with a charmer's flute, and even a hookah. All this hospitality did have a downside though. "Whenever we left our stand to go to the loo, we wouldn't hear the end of it. We kept getting sledged. Maharaja, they called us."
{{/usCountry}}This stand had an Indian theme with posters of the Taj Mahal, a fake snake in a basket with a charmer's flute, and even a hookah. All this hospitality did have a downside though. "Whenever we left our stand to go to the loo, we wouldn't hear the end of it. We kept getting sledged. Maharaja, they called us."
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