http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport/hi/english/cricket/england/newsid_2078000/2078980.stm
A matter of choice
By Oliver Brett
BBC Sport Online
Many British Asians get the best of both worlds, it seems.
When David Beckham scores for England in the World Cup, they celebrate the result with unabashed glee.
And when Sachin Tendulkar smashes a boundary off England’s bowlers in the cricket, they are just as happy.
India’s cricketers are used to attracting support wherever they go, but England has always been a happy place for them to tour, even if results have not always gone according to plan.
The boisterous exuberance and sheer passion of their fans is exactly what cricket needs.
This young fan reveals his sporting idol
But often they do not get a chance to do what they most want to do - support India.
In the 1999 World Cup, India played just one match at a Test venue in the group stage - at Edgbaston against England.
For the rest of the time, they had to make do with Hove, Leicester, Bristol and Taunton in a hopeless piece of fixture organisation.
The matches were heavily over-subscribed, whereas games involving other teams at larger venues were not always sold out.
And at Lord’s on Saturday in the match against England, the Indian fans - because flags, banners and horns were banned - were not able to celebrate in the way they would have liked.
It was a different story five miles across town the following day when India were again playing - this time against Sri Lanka, whose fans were also determined to have a good time.
Mehul Doshi, a 29-year-old optician from Hertfordshire, has lived in England since he was two years old, but has no hesitation in supporting India at cricket.
He was at the Lord’s game but in many ways reckons he would have had more fun at the Oval.
A lot of second generation Indians are going back to their roots in so many ways.
Mehul Doshi
Indian fan
“Everything’s banned at Lord’s, so it’s just people dressing up and painting their faces,” he says. "Still at least we won!
"Cricket is probably the only sport where I support India. I support England for football. I think if India were good at football maybe it would be different.
“I suppose it’s a bit like supporting two Premier League teams in football.”
When Tendulkar came out to bat at Lord’s, the fans went crazy, says Doshi.
"It was a bit of a let-down that he was bowled for just one but it’s just like in India with Sachin.
"Before he came in, they wanted one of the other batsmen to get out. And when he’s out they go totally silent.
“The adulation for Tendulkar is the same as in India. How many kids must have named their children Sachin after him?”
Michael Owen competes for attention with British Asians
Doshi is perhaps not as passionate about the great batsman as some, however.
Asked who he would rather see put in a star performance between Tendulkar and Michael Owen, he plumps for the Liverpool and England striker.
“I am a Liverpool fan and football is all year round. Cricket comes round only every now and again,” he explains.
Supporting India at cricket and England in football is not a trend that is likely to die out.
Doshi says: “A lot of second generation Indians are going back to their roots in so many ways - in terms of film, culture and so on.”
Last year, Nasser Hussain said he was upset British Asians were so reluctant to cheer for England.
At the time, the journalist Vivek Chaudhary, countered by saying he was surprised Hussain failed to understand their thinking.
Writing in the Guardian, Chaudhary said: "Hussain seems to consider himself an ordinary English gentleman who happens to have a bit of brown in him, and has on more than one occasion played down his Asian heritage.
“Could it be that he is ashamed of it?”