Bhubaneswar, Nov. 27: The India and West Indies cricket teams arrived here this evening amidst tight security for the first one-day match on Tuesday at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.
Both the teams would be lodged at the Hotel Mayfair Lagoon in the capital.
The Indian team, however, reached the city without its star attractions Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag. They are expected to arrive here tomorrow. Sehwag has been named skipper for the five-match one-day series in the absence of M.S. Dhoni, who has been rested along with Sachin Tendulkar.
The teams landed at the airport around 7.15pm and drove straight to the hotel. However, Suresh Raina, a key member of the Indian squad, reached half an hour later.
They were welcomed at the hotel in traditional Odia style with garlands, tilak and the auspicious blowing of conch shells even as Ranapa artistes performed acrobatic stunts on stilts. A sand artwork on the theme of cricket was placed at the entrance.
“This is the first time that the teams have arrived in our hotel in the evening. We usually serve green coconut water, but this time we served them fresh fruit juices. They would rest in their rooms for some time and then come out for dinner,” said a hotel staff.
Around 75 of the total 102 executive-standard double-bed rooms have been booked for the players, match officials, including the umpires and referee, and officials of the Odisha Cricket Association and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
“Initially, the BCCI had booked 87 rooms. The daily tariff of each room is Rs 10,000 plus tax. There are some superstitious players who wanted to stay in rooms with a particular number,” said another member of the hotel staff. Some of the rooms have balconies overlooking the lake inside the hotel.
Vice-president of the hotel Soubhagya Mohapatra said the West Indies team, which had stayed at this high-end hotel the last time they were here, preferred oriental and continental cuisine while the Men in Blue usually go for Indian delicacies.
“Since the players have a varied taste, we would keep all our nine restaurants and pubs open for them. They players prefer low-sugar, low-fat food. They like lean meat more. Fresh fruit juices and raw fruits are served to them at regular intervals. Indian players relish tandoor, Chinese and continental dishes,” he said.
The hotel’s spa, gym, tennis court and swimming pool would be open only to the players till Tuesday. “During their leisure, they can also play pool or table tennis along the poolside and read some books or surf the internet at our library-cum-business centre Aqua Residency,” Mohapatra said.
Two air-conditioned buses of the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) have been arranged for the transportation of both the teams. Tomorrow, the Indian team would go for their net practice at 10.30am while the Carribean side would follow at 2pm.
Security was tight around the hotel with policemen throwing a cordon around it to prevent pesky fans and newshounds from getting close to the players who are under strict instructions from their coaches and managers to keep a distance from the media.
Senior officers of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar police are keeping a close watch on the hotel and the route that the teams are supposed to take during their trips to Cuttack.
