Anant Iyer can hardly wait for his week to end. A young corporate manager in Bombay (Mumbai), he is ready to go home and plan for Saturday.
There will be a lot of money riding on the match between Pakistan and India
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He has invited 10 close friends over to watch the India-Pakistan match at his house.
They will be dressed in the Indian colours and will cheer their team on to what they hope will be a comprehensive victory.
"I've ordered the beer and food. Now I just have to wait for the party to begin," he said.
"We want to recreate the environment of an actual match in my house."
Prayers
It has been three years since India and Pakistan have played a cricket match against other.
These three will travel home to Jammu to watch the game
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In India the game is a religion and therefore for some, it is quite normal to pray for victory.
In the southern city of Bangalore, a group of ardent fans made special offerings at a temple.
Then they marched through the streets outside, the colours of the Indian flag painted on their face.
"At any cost, we should win against Pakistan," said Murugan, one of the cricket enthusiasts.
Miles away, in the Indian capital Delhi, Subhash, Suresh and Puri looked nervously at their watches.
I am really excited because after a long time they are starting to play again
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They were waiting to board a train for the overnight journey back to their hometown Jammu, hoping to arrive hours before the match.
"My children are waiting for me so that we can watch the match together," said Subhash.
His friend Suresh does not normally follow the game. But he will tomorrow.
"I will definitely watch the match. Definitely. It's India versus Pakistan," he said.
Skalza wants the game to be friendly
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For some, it is the ultimate confrontation, especially as the two teams have had a tense political relationship since independence, more than 50 years ago.
But others view it differently.
Skalza is from the Himalayan region of Ladakh and is not all that interested in cricket.
But she is very pleased about Saturday's match.
"I have always wanted India and Pakistan to play for friendly reasons and I am really excited because after a long time they are starting to play again," he said.
Cashing in
Cricket fever spells big money in India and it is not surprising that many are cashing in.
Cinemas in the capital and other cities have cancelled regular shows and organised a special screening of the match.
And ahead of the game, there are very few seats left.
"People want to be able to watch the match on the big screen. It's almost like being at the stadium," said Piyush, who works at Delhi's Priya cinema.
Many companies are also using the opportunity to earn goodwill among their employees.
"We've organised a special viewing pavilion at work, with a giant screen and food and drink," says Asif Iqbal, a personnel manager with Tata Chemicals.
"Everyone including the CEO will be there to watch.
"It's been long, too long since India and Pakistan met each other," says Puri as he hurries to catch his train to Jammu.
"I can't wait."
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