As India and Sri-Lanka go head to head for the World Cup Final, over a billion people wait with bated breath for the mother of all matches to begin.
Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, one of India's biggest sports venues, is enveloped in an unprecendented eight-layer security cordon.
One Kiwi Indian on his way to watch the game said it was the strongest security measures he had ever seen anywhere. Helicopters, armoured cars, amred soldiers and innumerable security guards have been deployed around the venue.
Though tickets have been sold out weeks in advance, there is still a mad scramble among VIPs to get access. There have been reports that even the President of India has been asked to cut down her entourage to 35 from 60 because of the full capacity.
Meanwhile people are resorting to all sorts of appeasments for divine intervention to help India lift the cup after 1983.
In this picture cricket-crazy fans sponsor a yagya at the Kalighat temple in Kolkata, praying to the gods for Team India's victory.
This is a significant contest in several ways including the fact that this would probably be Sachin Tendulkar's last World Cup match of his career. He is playing on home turf and is on the verge of getting his 100th century in tests and one dayers, with 99 so far.