England fans prepare for Chennai Test

The players have arrived; their security has arrived; a cyclone has apparently arrived and, if you look very closely, a small pocket of England supporters has slowly begun to arrive in Chennai in time for the first Test.

It's been a long and trying two weeks since the terrible scenes from Mumbai, not only for the players in deciding whether to return but also for those supporters waiting on that decision and making their own choice on whether to travel accordingly.

These are extraordinary times out here (as has been proved by the willingness of the BCCI and ECB to come to an agreement over the venues) and it would be churlish to criticise the authorities too much for the time taken to come to a decision.

 

However, for England's supporters, either the refugees from the ODI series or, more pertinantly, those at home, the decision on whether to return as well as the venues for the Tests has proved just too long for many and numerous regular faces on tour have now decided 'to give this one a miss'.

It's been especially hard on those determined to see both Tests before flying home to England in time for Christmas.

Whilst the England camp demanded to be home for Christmas even before the events of a fortnight ago, those supporters booked on their original flights out of Mumbai on Christmas Eve still have no idea if they need a connecting flight from Chandigarh, Bangalore or even Delhi.

Similarly, those of us trying to book trains or flights from Chennai to the second Test still have no confirmation on where we need to book those journeys to for a Test that starts in just 10 days time!

Whilst Bangalore is only an overnight train journey away, the only place you'll find Chennai and Chandigarh next to each other is in the index of the Indian Train Timetable, Trains at a Glance!

There is no doubt there has been a noticeable increase in security at the country's major railway stations but once you step into India's teeming streets life goes on much as it ever has.

At the Chepauk Stadium though it might be a different story with Indian police having reportedly deployed a staggering 5,000 personnel, including 300 armed commandos, at the team hotel and at the stadium.

But once the average England supporter walks away from the ground it is, obviously, a different story and it's down to us, as ever, to use our own judgement on each situation that travelling in India throws up each day.

No England fan I've spoken to has changed their usual lifestyle out here in any way and I'd imagine it will business as usual at the hotels, restaurant and bars in the city over the next week - albeit on a smaller scale than usual.

One thing that will undoubtedly be a source of conversation in those bars and restaurants is whether the Test match atmosphere will differ in anyway from a 'normal' Test match played under 'normal' circumstances.

And whilst I'm sure England's supporters will also have their own theories in why their team chose to return for the Test series, there's no doubt most of those supporters out here will have their own thoughts on the relevance of the cricket being played in front of them.

But whilst the graphic images of bodies sprawled acoss the concourse of Mumbai's main railway station will live with me for a very long time I have to believe that we, the English supporters, are here in India at this time, to cheer England towards a Test series victory.