Nothing quite prepares an Englishman for the Wankhede experience. Think of Anfield, Twickenham, Cardiff Arms Park, add them up and multiply by lots. Only then do you get close to Mumbai's level of intensity. You could feel it even before you entered the ground. This unique, sprawling city had been buzzing all week, and when England won at Delhi, the buzz got louder. "India will win," said the taxi-driver confidently. Today, 40,000-plus spectators weren't in the mood to disagree. Half-an-hour before the start, the stadium was throbbing with excitement. Fans waved anything they could get their hands on – even the Stars and Stripes fluttered proudly by one of the black sightscreens – and still more besides. And as the Indian team took the field, the place erupted.

Ten players jogged on jauntily, but one man coolly brought up the rear. Sachin Tendulkar is a local boy, and he swaggered on, chest out, like a man who owns the place. Which he practically does. It was five overs before he touched the ball: fielding a firm push from Nasser Hussain at mid-on, he was applauded as if it were the stop of the century. Just wait until he bats.

By then the game had got off to a frenetic start. Marcus Trescothick was dropped in the gully first ball, Nick Knight survived a confident shout for caught-behind off the fifth, and then nicked the sixth to the keeper. Pandemonium. Grown men danced and hugged each other, and bottles would probably have been thrown onto the pitch had the security guards not confiscated them all. But the lack of water didn't matter, even on a steaming hot day like this: the only thing the fans were thirsty for was more wickets.

They almost got them: three appeals followed in three balls, all of them not out. Not that a faint outside-edge could possibly have been heard by the umpire 25 yards away. As England's batsmen adjusted to the bounce, and the runs started to flow, the crowd amused themselves with a Mexican Wave that was more of an Indian Monsoon. As it surged towards the press box, you almost feared for your safety. Sitting hunched in the TV gantry, even Angus Fraser, the former England seamer who is out here as a journalist, was enthused.

The mood clearly infected Nasser Hussain, who tucked into Ajit Agarkar, the other Bombay boy in this Indian team, with extra helpings of relish. India already likes Nasser, and they liked this too. This crowd is passionate – madly so – but they certainly know good cricket when they see it.

Lawrence Booth is assistant editor of Wisden.com.

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