Zampa catches the tubes
As Australia boarded their plane for Ahmedabad at Kolkata airport on Friday afternoon, spotted among the throng was Adam Zampa clutching five or six tubes of Pringles under his arm. Slightly off-brand for a whole foods kind of guy, admittedly, but perhaps this was trumped by the leg-spinner’s belief that England under-clubbed in the 1992 final with just one Pringle – Derek – in their side. AM
White rose final
While rumours of Dua Lipa performing at the World Cup final are wide of the mark, England will still be represented, with Richard Kettleborough and Richard Illingworth named as the two on-field umpires. Leeds-born Josh Inglis in Australia’s XI also makes it three Yorkshiremen who will be central to the action – a proud day for the county, even if this is still one short of being able to recreate the famous sketch about humble upbringings. AM
Limited appeal
Not even the Narendra Modi Stadium’s six-figure capacity is able to satisfy demand for tickets, summed up by one taxi driver waiting just two minutes into a half-hour journey before enquiring about any possible spares. Hotels have ramped up their prices and are oversubscribed, internal air travel is much the same. Indian Railways have responded accordingly, beefing up their services with additional trains running from Delhi and Mumbai. One fan in Bangalore, Ayush Pranav, has even issued an appeal on social media for anyone wishing to travel with him to the match by helicopter, albeit stating a preference for people with access to both a helicopter and tickets. BR
Media bias
India’s semi-final in Mumbai was epic on and off the Wankhede turf. In the VVIP stands David Beckham waved a lot and sat next to very famous people he didn’t know, watching a game he has never previously expressed any interest in. Meanwhile, there were odd scenes in the press box as a large section of accredited persons present sang along loudly to the Indian national anthem, applauded fiercely as Virat Kohli completed his hundred, and, in one case, sported a face-painted Indian flag in the press seats. The Diary’s neighbour from the Indian Express was baffled, confessing that neither he nor his colleagues had seen this before. Watch and learn, English press pack. Lift up your voices. A flag or two wouldn’t hurt either. BR
