Teams arrive in Vishakapatnam

The Indian and Pak teams arrived on Sunday for the second one-day match. The teams will have nets at the Port Stadium on Monday.

The Indian and Pakistan cricket teams arrived Vishakapatnam on Sunday evening for the second one-day match to be played on Tuesday.

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The Sourav Ganguly-led Indian team and the Inzamam-ul-Haq led Pakistani squad arrived from Kochi and drove straight to the Taj Residency hotel, located close to the beach, where they will be staying.

Indian vice-captain Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag, the heroes of Kochi match that India won by 87 runs on Saturday, were accompanied by their wives.

The teams were accorded a traditional reception as they alighted from their buses. The players were garlanded and tilak or vermilion applied on their foreheads.

While some Pakistani players bowed their heads for the tilak, others, including Inzamam, politely refused.

A group of artistes played traditional music while a dancer performed a local dance to welcome the players.

The hotel lobby was decorated with the flags of both countries and dozens of balloons.

Police had made tight security arrangements along the 15 km route from the airport to the hotel. Barricades were erected at several points and traffic was diverted to facilitate the smooth passage for the cavalcade.

The area around the hotel was virtually turned into a fortress. People climbed on top of the adjoining buildings to catch a glimpse of the players. Armed policemen were also deployed on these buildings as part of the massive security cordon.

Hundreds of cricket enthusiasts who had gathered outside the hotel cheered loudly as some players of both teams emerged at the windows of their rooms to catch a glimpse of the sea. Holding the tricolour and pictures of players, fans cheered as some players waved at them.

The two teams will have a net practice session at the Port Stadium in Vishakapatnam on Monday.