To get to Sophia Gardens - or the Cardiff Wales Stadium, as it is now called - from the train station, fans need to take a picturesque walk through the castle and along the River Taff.
By 9am yesterday, throngs of Indian fans were on their way, draped in tricolour flags and wearing everything from jester caps to blue Mohawks.
There was even a group of blue smurfs.
The previous day, Delhi Police had questioned Raj Kundra, one of the co-owners of the Indian Premier League's Rajasthan Royals, for more than 10 hours over his alleged involvement in a betting ring.
In such a week, when Bangladesh's Mohammad Ashraful had also admitted to spot-fixing in the country's domestic Twenty20 tournament, you would think that fans would be fairly cynical about the state of the game.
For those in Cardiff, though, nothing seemed to have changed.
The Indian national anthem was raucously applauded, and from ball one, there was little doubt as to which team was the crowd's pick.
Every Indian shot or edge was hailed, and once Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma switched from circumspection to attack, the atmosphere was as frenzied as you would find in most Indian grounds.
Blue truly was the colour.
After the spot-fixing scandal broke, Suresh Menon, editor of the Wisden India Almanack, had written: "Wouldn't it have been wonderful if the fans had refused to turn up at Eden Gardens for the [IPL] final, forcing it to be played before an empty stadium? Alone among the stakeholders in the sport, they have the power to force the cricket board to clean up its act, first by keeping away from matches and then by boycotting the products of the sponsors involved in the IPL."
None of this happened. For some, it was evidence that Indian fans didn't care enough, that they were no better than zombies, consuming any cricket "entertainment" in front of them.
The truth is that he or she cares too much. Many in the Cardiff crowd had come from thousands of miles away, spending thousands of pounds.
Like the indulgent parent who will not give up on the prodigal child, these fans keep coming back, no matter how badly Indian cricket treats them.
One nodded his head violently when asked if he still believed.
It wasn't just his faith talking. It was the faith of his father, and his before him.
It was acknowledgement of the fact that cricket is one of very few sports where you get the opportunity to wave the flag proudly.
The parasites eating away at the game, whether they are crooked administrators, greedy sponsors or corrupt players, are perhaps aware of this.
Even if they aren't, they take advantage of it.
No matter what the story, the fans tend to give the players the benefit of the doubt.
It's far easier, after all, to turn on a journalist than to contemplate that your heroes may have feet of clay.
Whether it is the possible conflict-of-interest situation involving MS Dhoni and his management company, or the suggestion that the highest echelons of IPL team management may be involved in the fixing mess, the fan looks past, to the field where his men in blue play.
That near-unconditional love is Indian cricket's greatest strength, the foundation of the riches it now enjoys.
It's also its greatest weakness. The crooked and evil elements use the attendance as vindication for their behaviour. They hide behind it.
Instead of transparency that comes from a fear that fans might stay away, you get an administration that does as it pleases.
It's a depressing state of affairs, most of all for those who give so much of themselves while expecting nothing in return.
sports@thenational.ae
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
'The%20Alchemist's%20Euphoria'
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The 10 Questions
- Is there a God?
- How did it all begin?
- What is inside a black hole?
- Can we predict the future?
- Is time travel possible?
- Will we survive on Earth?
- Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
- Should we colonise space?
- Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?
- How do we shape the future?
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Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
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End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300
What is double taxation?
- Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
- Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
- The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
- Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
Palestine and Israel - live updates
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
SUZUME
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
The specs
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 217hp at 5,750rpm
Torque: 300Nm at 1,900rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh130,000
On sale: now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Major honours
ARSENAL
BARCELONA
- La Liga - 2013
- Copa del Rey - 2012
- Fifa Club World Cup - 2011
CHELSEA
- Premier League - 2015, 2017
- FA Cup - 2018
- League Cup - 2015
SPAIN
- World Cup - 2010
- European Championship - 2008, 2012
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
Guns N’ Roses’s last gig before Abu Dhabi was in Hong Kong on November 21. We were there – and here’s what they played, and in what order. You were warned.
- It’s So Easy
- Mr Brownstone
- Chinese Democracy
- Welcome to the Jungle
- Double Talkin’ Jive
- Better
- Estranged
- Live and Let Die (Wings cover)
- Slither (Velvet Revolver cover)
- Rocket Queen
- You Could Be Mine
- Shadow of Your Love
- Attitude (Misfits cover)
- Civil War
- Coma
- Love Theme from The Godfather (movie cover)
- Sweet Child O’ Mine
- Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb cover)
- Wish You Were Here (instrumental Pink Floyd cover)
- November Rain
- Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden cover)
- Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)
- Nightrain
Encore:
- Patience
- Don’t Cry
- The Seeker (The Who cover)
- Paradise City
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
