Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) is confident of breaking the October jinx by hosting Barabati Stadium’s maiden T20 International between India and South Africa in Cuttack on Monday. The India-West Indies T20 engagement on October 22 last year had to be cancelled following problems of the Caribbeans with their board and rain washed out the October 2013 tie between India and Australia at Barabati. This time, the spectators are keeping their fingers crossed. 
As the most-prized ticket in town is with you, get your spectator strategy right to witness a perfect Monday magic. Vikash Sharma of The Telegraph tells you how.

Your seat, sir

The OCA has introduced seat-numbering system to ensure that a valid ticket holder has a hassle-free view of the game. The officials on Sunday completed the numbering of all the seats, except galleries.

Drill goes wrong

During a mock drill to transport players from Cuttack to Bhubaneswar yesterday, the pilot van that was supposed to come from Palasuni towards Rasulgarh took the wrong route leaving cops confused. However, police remained tight-lipped about the incident. 

Star struck

Crowds gathered on the road in front of Mayfair Lagoon Hotel to catch a glimpse of their favourite cricket stars. The cops had a difficult time in managing them when players began to leave for Barabati Stadium.

Brand Bhajji

Spinner Harbhajan Singh did some brand promotion for a city-based builder. “The association is for lifetime as my relation is like a family member and not as an ambassador. It will last a lifetime,” the bowler said. 

Ground report

OCA officials said the Barabati pitch was prepared for a run feast, but overnight rain was likely to slow the pace of the wicket.

Huge crowd

The net session of both the teams saw over 7,000 spectators at Barabati, which has raised hopes of a full house on Monday. “Though we couldn’t get a match ticket, we did catch the players in action at the practice session,” said Atul, a school student.  

Friendly chat

Before the big fight tomorrow, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers spend some time chatting during the net session. “It was a pleasant surprise to see players of both the teams enjoying a friendly conversation,” said a spectator.

Start early

Weather permitting, the umpires will say “Let’s play” sharp at 7pm. You surely wouldn’t want to miss the toss, let alone the first ball, by a few seconds. Not after all the hours you spent queuing up to buy that ticket, right?
Make sure you reach the stadium by 6.25pm to catch captains Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Faf du Plessis walk out for the toss half an hour before the start of play.

Sit right

In the euphoria of entering the cauldron of cricket, don’t forget to spot the seat allotted against your ticket. The OCA has done it for the first time to end your confusion.
The pre-match excitement is already in the air with spectators crowding galleries to see players workout on Sunday. The South African team had an intense workout that began with players playing football.
The arrival of four key players of Team India, including skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli, R. Ashwin and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, ahead of others for the net session was a bonus for the spectators. 

Great expectations

“We are expecting a good match as Team India will try its best to level the series after the first-match setback,” said T. Dinesh Rao, a spectator. He said demand for tickets was particularly high with gallery tickets priced at Rs 500 being sold for Rs 1,000 on the black market. 

Rain, rain, go away

Pray that the weatherman’s prediction of rain or thundershower does not turn out to be true.
Saturday’s heavy downpour was enough for spectators to go into prayer mode. The OCA ground staff, however, did a commendable job of keeping the pitch and the outfield match fit.

“The Barabati Stadium is fully prepared to host its maiden international T20 match and we have done a lot of ground work to ensure that the match is held despite inclement weather,” said chief curator Pankaj Patnaik.
 
 

Carry umbrellas

Though everyone is praying that the skies don’t open up, but do play safe because of the ominous forecast. Don’t forget to carry umbrellas, and mind you there’s no restrictions on carrying them into the ground.
However, all other restrictions remain - which means no sharp objects, cameras, mirrors, helmets, lighters, cigarettes, matchboxes, and large bags.

And what about refreshments? Spectators cannot carry water bottles, but dry food, including those cooked at home, are allowed. However, there is a rider - dry food cannot be carried in tiffin-boxes, so bring them in packets. 
If you are thirsty, pick up water pouches that will be on sale at the stadium.

Play by the rules

City police have arranged foolproof security - inside the stadium, along its periphery and in the vicinity.
There will be 65 platoons of Odisha State Armed Police, 300 officers, personnel of special operations group, anti-terrorist, bomb and sniffer dog squads.

There will be a quick reaction team and four control rooms to ensure that there is no breach in security.
There will be 140 closed-circuit television cameras to keep an eye on activities in an around the stadium. 
The Bhubaneswar hotel where both the teams are staying has been converted into a virtual fortress with three-layered security. 
Twenty-five platoons of police have been deployed in and around the hotel.

Know your rules

The suggested routes to reach the stadium are Cantonment Road, Kanika Chhak, Ring Road, Howrah Motors, Matamatha, Madhusudan Nagar, Biju Patnaik Chhak, Shelter Chhak, Mission Road and Buxi Bazar.

Park it right 

The administration has taken note of complaints regarding parking in the vicinity of the stadium. 
A special squad has been formed to end harassment at the parking lots in Old and new Bali Yatra ground, Dayashram and outside Anand Bhavan.

Those planning to come in four-wheelers will have to cough up Rs 50, while the rates for two-wheelers and cycles are Rs 20 and Rs 10, respectively.