Sculptor Creates Cricket Art in India

Renowned sand sculptor Sudarshan Patnaik has created a giant cricket bat and ball made of sand ahead of the cricket World Cup final.

Patnaik built the sand art in Lucknow, capital of India's northern Uttar Pradesh state, as a tribute to the Indian team and to wish them luck for their final match with Sri Lanka.

[Sudarshan Patnaik. Sand Sculptor]:
"We have made this tribute to Team India through sand. This is our concept and I did a similar thing during the 1992 World Cup. I am especially fond of events related to cricket. That is why we have created this form of art."

Patnaik said that six tonnes of sand had been brought from River Ghaghra in Uttar Pradesh and the sculpture took him more than five hours to complete.

Visitors thronged the venue to see the giant sand sculpture.

[Amrita Nandi, Visitor]:
"I'm seeing this sand art for the first time. We are very thrilled that such a thing can be created. This is a very new thing for us."

India will face Sri Lanka in the World Cup final in Mumbai on Saturday.