(Image source from: Deccanchronicle.com)

Team India Men Land In Guhawati For 2nd T20 Match:- The cricket teams of India and Australia have arrived in Guwahati on Sunday for the second Twenty20 match at the newly-built Barsapara Stadium, which is getting ready to make its international debut.

As the city prepares itself for its first international match after a gap of seven years, about a thousand fans gathered at the airport to catch the arrival of the two teams. When India beat New Zealand by 40 runs in an ODI, much has changed since Guwahati hosted its last international match way back on November 28, 2010.

The Assam Cricket Association (ACA) also has moved from the Nehru Stadium and the Barsapara stadium now is become the new cricketing destination of the city. The stadium holds a capacity of around 37,000 people.

The tickets for the match have been sold out well in advance and there is a long demand for more but ACA secretary Pradip Buragohain sounded helpless.

“The day has finally arrived,” Buragohain told a leading news channel while conducting a series of meetings for the smooth conduct of the match.

“We hope this is just the beginning and there are more to come.”

When both the teams arrived in the evening by a chartered flight, the mood was evident as fans shouted ‘India India’ at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport. Such was the craze that cricketer-turned-commentator Brett Lee was not even spared. While coming out of the airport, he was mobbed, before being escorted by police.

Ahead of the match, Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal will officially open the ACA Barsapara Stadium. Many VVIPs including governor Jagdish Mukhi are invited.

After the win in Ranchi on Saturday, India are 1-0 up in the series and before the two teams head to Hyderabad for the last match, would look to seal the series in Guhawati.

SUPRAJA