Every game's a home game
It's hardly a novel observation that the Indian cricket team could draw a crowd on the Moon, let alone Melbourne. But walking around the MCG and Yarra Park after the game, every square inch that wasn't actually in the middle of the road or a train track had been commandeered for a party - and one with a definite dress code.

Those in Bangladeshi green were as moss-covered rocks in a surging blue tide; the larger boulders stood firm, but any isolated pebbles had little choice but to be swept along with the current until they could reach calmer waters.

At the risk of taking an already tortured analogy and beating its insensible corpse up some more, like most large rivers the crowd had a definite air of latent power to it. There is a certain ferocity to the way Indian fans celebrate, particularly at World Cups, and one couldn't help wonder what might have happened if Bangladesh had had a little more luck with no-ball calls and the like, or perhaps more pertinently if Tamim Iqbal's early surge had lasted another, say, 15 overs.

But as it was, India simply had too many runs, and in the end scoreboard pressure did what it has largely done throughout the tournament and slowly squeezed the life out of the Bangladeshi chase. By the end any fans looking for entertainment were more or less on their own.

They found it where they could, as cricket crowds do: a pigeon that took it upon itself to stalk Virat Kohli from position to position across the outfield drew many a cheer, and the 50 run partnership towards the end between Sabbir Rahman and Nasir Hossain was admirable in its bloody-mindedness. Once that stand was broken, the end came mercifully quickly, and India now move on to Sydney and a showdown with Australia.

I mostly missed their win over Pakistan due to being on a very full plane to Wellington, but I gather from what brief snatches I caught on Guerilla Cricket and from what I could glean from the post-match reporting that it went largely as expected: Misbah alternatively blocked and biffed, the Pakistani middle order showed glimpses of talent but little stickability, and the discipline of the Australian bowlers meant their batsmen had a target small enough to chase easily despite the early onslaught from Wahab Riaz and friends (or in the case of Pakistan's outfielders, enemies).

#BeckTheBleckCeps

At time of going to press, I have been in New Zealand for about 12 hours and have spent most of it asleep, that in theory if not in my recent experience in practice being what one does at night. But I can report that the West Indies , who along with various commentators, match officials and other ICC hirelings, are staying in our hotel and had yet to even board their team coach to head the ground less than two hours before game time.

Oh, and Wellington in the sunshine is gorgeous.

Will the West Indies' relaxed preparation work? Listen to GuerillaCricket.com (also available on the TuneIn app for iPhone and Android) to find out. But for now, buh-bye.

Next time: Cake Tin reaction, on the road in the North Island, and coffee talk.