Barbati promises sporting pitch;Desperate England takes on India

Cuttack, Nov 24 (UNI) With Mahendra Singh Dhoni's brigade already pocketing the series thrashing England in all the four one-dayers of the seven, the November 26 match will witness the visitors go all out to put up a semblance of respectability in the fifth ODI at the Barbati stadium here.

The four wins on a trot have paved the way for the home team management to test its reserve players possessing tremendous potentility to make India the world's topmost side in near future.

Pitch curator Pankaj Patnaik told reporters today that fairly green top of central pitch at Mahanadi end and patchy stretch on the Pavilion end will provide pacer extra bounce and 250/260 score will be adequately competitive for any side.

Both India and England arrived in Bhubaneswar today and were given full day rest.

While Kevin Pietersen's England will have practice from 0930 hours onwards, M S Dhoni's men will take nets from 1330 hours, Orissa Cricket Association sources said.

After the Bangalore ODI victory, Dhoni had already hinted that some changes might be effected in the side as option was there to try the reserve players.

Fans in Cuttack and its surrounding areas are bristling with confidence that India's domination over the Englishmen will continue unabated.

Security in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack has been tightened and no mediaperson is being allowed to approach either player or team officials for interview.

B R Panda, a senior officer, who has been entrusted with overseeing policing, said about 3500 cops would be deployed from tomorrow with sniffer dogs in VVIP areas.

Already gun-weilding policemen have surrounded the central pitch as works in the stadium are still in progress.

The administration has adopted extra precautionary measures here specially in the backdrop of the alleged attack on former India Team coach Greg Chappel by a follower of Kalinga Sena at the airport early last year.

Barbati stadium, hosting an ODI almost 22 months after India's victory over West Indies in January, 2007, is gearing up to accommodate some 35,000 spectators as tickets for all seats have been sold out, OCA media management officials said.

Tickets for gallery of Rs 500 and 400, concession tickets of Rs 200 for students and pavilion of Rs 4000 and 2000 have already been exhausted, officials said.

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