Buying a ticket for the Test match

Ironically, we were quickly joined by three fans who had arrived at the ground early and paid 500 rupees each.

When they found that all the facilities you would expect to be provided at this inflated price were available in the Rs100 section they quickly 'downgraded'!

Needless to say, everybody paid to sit in the 100 rupee seats on the second day.

Ticket prices were again a hot topic of discussion in the bars around Chandigarh's Sector 22, one of 64 sectors the post-independence built city is divided into, the night before the first Test started.

Those in England unduly worried about the possibility of the game selling out had been duped into paying �50 sterling for their match tickets.

Admittedly, compared to the sky-high prices that keep many of the England supporters on this tour away from Test matches at home this probably seems a fair price to pay.

However, the majority of fans committed to seeing the whole series within a tight budget have plumped for the Rs250 (about �4) five-day pass and are still sitting in the VIP enclosure.

Feeling the cold

The locals enjoyed Deep Dasgupta's century

The moat around the outfield also means that we are able to watch the game without the obstruction of a 12-foot high fence, a familiar sight at the majority of India's Test grounds.

But if you fancy a real bargain, then why not enrol as an Indian student, as the city's Sachin supporting scholars can see the match for just Rs30 for a five-day pass.

At the current exchange rate that's well under 10 pence a day.

Finally, if you imagine the Test series has kicked off with ultra-high temperatures then think again.

Chandigarh's northern position within India means that the sun doesn't rise here until around 7.15am and disappears again around 5.15pm.

With the temperature dipping to around 8 degrees celsius overnight it means that the auto-rickshaws ferrying English supporters up to the ground in the suburb of Mohali have been occupied by fans wrapped up in clothing more suited for a cold April day's play at Grace Road, Leicester.

Although it has reached 25 degrees once the sun warms up the winter air it's been so cold that some England supporters have resorted to wearing balaclavas and wrapping themselves in shawls at the start of play but, as we are in India, have still insisted on the shorts and flip-flops.

By the time of the next dispatch i'll be in Ahmedabad in Gujarat for the second test where, hopefully, things will have warmed up a bit.

Now, where did I put that balaclava?