BHUBANESWAR: Cricket fever has gripped the Twin Cities as the Team India and members of the West Indies team flew into the City on Sunday evening for the first ODI to be played in Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium on Tuesday.Amidst a canopy of security, the two teams were escorted to the team hotel.Barring Virender Sehwag, who has been designated skipper for the ODI series, his Delhi- mate and opening partner Gautam Gambhir and pace bowler Praveen Kumar, Team India members arrived in two batches.The trio will arrive by a morning flight on Monday.A chartered flight carrying 10 members of the Indian team and the Caribbeans reached the City about 45 minutes behind schedule.Straightaway they were driven to the team hotel where the cricketers were given a warm reception.A little later, Suresh Raina and Manoj Tiwary arrived in a separate flight and were escorted to the team hotel.A ring of security has been thrown around the hotel where about six platoons of force have been deployed.A police control room has also been set up which is manned by an ACP- ranked officer.More than two dozen officers have been pressed into service for security.The two teams will go to Cuttack for practice on Monday.The Indian team is likely to proceed at 10 am followed by the West Indians at noon hours.After lunch hour, the teams will return.Some members of the Team India are scheduled to unveil the DRIEMS Stadium at Tangi.With just two days to go for the first ODI, there is cricket hype in the City.While a large crowd was waiting to get a glimpse of the stars at the Biju Patnaik Airport, along the route to the hotel people were seen waving at the team buses.The team hotel has been declared out of bounds to outsiders till November 30.Only a few guests have been allowed.Even as the Commissionerate of Police was busy giving final touches to security arrangements at the stadium, cricket fans, who have bought tickets for the ODI online, were asked to collect their tickets at a special counter in Cuttack.The Orissa Cricket Association had tied up with KyZoonga.com for online sale of the tickets.Although the tickets were to be sent by courier, the OCA decided against it taking security into consideration.The buyers were notified to collect the tickets from a special counter opened at a school on Sunday.
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