Testing times ahead in India as fans vote with their feet
During the morning session in Chennai, one Indian fan nailed his colours to the mast by unfurling a banner which read "Test Cricket = Proper Cricket". The empty spaces around him suggested that this traditionalist was in the minority.
Given the uncertainty and fear which has surrounded this match ever since the terrorist attacks on Mumbai, it is perhaps not surprising that some supporters chose to stay away.
Yet with the Test carrying such extra significance, it was remarkable to see so few people in the ground. The low attendance was blamed in some quarters on the fact that Indian schoolchildren across the country are taking exams but a better answer can be found within cricket itself.
Twenty20 cricket is the new king on the subcontinent. The formation of the Indian Premier League, with its evident wealth, glamour and excitement, pushed five-day cricket down the agenda in the region. Indian fans have watched world stars like Shane Warne, Brendon McCullum and Sanath Jayasuriya compete alongside home-grown favourites like Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag in the IPL.
The worry for lovers of Test cricket is that there considerable implications for the longer form of the game if this match and the second Test in Mohali, which begins on 19 December, are poorly attended.
The die already appeared to be cast before this tour began, when room could be found for only two Test matches between India and England, even though both countries are among the leading nations in world cricket.
By contrast, seven one-day internationals were scheduled, two of which were cancelled in the aftermath of the atrocities in Mumbai.
It is hard to believe that Chennai's cricket fans cannot get excited about a home series against England but they seem to have voted with their feet.
All eyes will now turn to the Chennai Superkings, who had Australian batsman Matthew Hayden and Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan in their squad for last year's IPL. If their first home match is watched by a full house, will it mean the beginning of the end for Test cricket?
