Patna, April 1: Indians residing beyond the borders of the country are following the ongoing World Cup keenly.

Several associations in and outside the country are not only watching the Cup but are also sending invitations to each other to watch the final together.

Professor Bijoy Kumar Saha at the University of Tenneesse, the US, is lucky to be in Patna these days and is very happy to watch the matches here. Satisfied after the semi-final match against Pakistan, he is now praying for another victory against Sri Lanka tomorrow.

Saha said: “Seeing the final with my family members will be a great experience. Having such an opportunity after years is something to remember. If India win, it would add to my experiences and add to the memories.”

Saha’s son Anand, too, cannot wait for tomorrow. Anand will be watching the final at Emory University Club in the US. Anand would wake up before 5am to watch the match.

Shweta, a student from Memphis, said: “The World Cup means a lot to us. We have been watching each and every bit of it and there is no way we would miss the final match versus Sri Lanka. We have also invited members of the Indian Students’ Association to the University of Memphis. The match would begin at 4am.”

She said the Indian Students’ Association has arranged for the big screen on the campus to telecast the final match live.

Sonika Verma, a homemaker, said: “The India-Pakistan semi-final was a thriller. The sentiments for the match were the same here as they are in India. Lots of people either took a day’s leave or opted to work from home. As India won the match, we were on the top of the world. There were no fireworks, as they are not allowed here, but we celebrated in our way — drinks and some good food!”

She said, watching people celebrate in India made them feel jealous. “We wished we were there. It would have been a first-hand experience. Now we are all waiting for the last and the all-important game. Keeping our fingers crossed and praying that India win. All of us would gather on the occasion at a friend’s place. The day being a weekend is icing on the cake.”

Neha Bhargava, a homemaker at Memphis, said: “My husband and I are extremely excited for the India-Sri Lanka final. I am going to pray to God for India.” She warned against complacency on the field and said the fielding would make all the difference. “If the Sachin-Sehwag partnership exceeds 100 runs, and one of them go on to score a 100, we would definitely score more than 300 and win the Cup,” she said.