World Cup diary: Dhoni-Kohli bonhomie and the WACA board

On an uneventful day at Perth, one notices the often missed salient points

There were lot of speculations about Mahendra Singh Dhoni-Virat Kohli relationship but if you walked in at the Hotel Hyatt today afternoon, you could say that all those were just rumours.

As one entered the hotel porch, one could see the Indian captain and his deputy engrossed in a chat like long lost friends.

Even from a handshaking distance, it was difficult to hear what they were speaking. While Kohli was in his shorts and white vests, the skipper looked cool as ever in his Red tees and army green baggy pants.

The Indian captain did acknowledge the presence of few scribes with a smile, even as Kohli had a look at his i-pad.

Once Mohammed Shami joined them, the three left the hotel and it was lunch time, so no marks for guessing where they headed to, as the hotel menu was dominated mostly by oriental and Aussie cuisines which probably did not suit the Indian taste buds.

Old World charm of WACA:

While no one can deny the history and legacy that is attached with Adelaide Oval and the Melbourne Cricket Ground, they can at best be termed as concrete jungles, somewhat similar to the newly built swanky Indian cricket stadiums.

The moment one enters the WACA ground in Perth, the old world charm just refuses to leave you.

The grass banks, the Lilee-Marsh stands along with the new bucket seats is a nice amalgamation of old and new.

Whenever there is an international match, the big manual scoreboard of WACA shows Western Australia's 'Team of Century' with all the leading Test players' emerging from the state adorning the board.

It has Dennis Lillee, Rod Marsh, Justin Langer, Geoff Marsh, Kim Hughes, Terry Alderman, Graham McKenzie, John Inverarity, Greg Shepherd, Bruce Yardley, Graeme Wood.

WACA's media manager Glem Foreman said, "That's our 'Team of Century'. Whenever there is an international match, we put up the board with the special XI's name."

The other interesting aspect was that each portion of the red-bricked outer boundary wall of the WACA has a poster of Western Australia players like Lillee, Hughes, Marsh, Langer, Mike Velletta (hero 1987 Reliance Cup final), Bruce Reid, Graham McKenzie to name a few.