The Indian and Australian cricket teams arrived in Guwahati on Sunday for the second T20 international at the newly-built Barsapara Stadium, which is getting ready to make its international debut. About a thousand fans gathered at the airport to catch the arrival of the two teams as the city prepares itself for its first international match after a gap of seven years.
From their 2011 World Cup win to a new era under Virat Kohli much has changed since Guwahati hosted its last international match way back on November 28, 2010, when India beat New Zealand by 40 runs in an ODI.
The Assam Cricket Association (ACA) also has moved from the Nehru Stadium and 37,000 capacity Barsapara stadium now has become the new cricketing destination of the city.
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 PTI 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."
The mood was evident as fans shouted 'India India' at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport when both the teams arrived in the evening by a chartered flight.
Such was the craze that they did not even spare cricketer-turned-commentator Brett Lee, who was mobbed while coming out of the airport before being escorted by police.
There will be an official opening of the ACA Barsapara Stadium by Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal ahead of the match and many VVIPs including governor Jagdish Mukhi are invited.
India are 1-0 up in the series after the win in Ranchi on Saturday and would look to seal the series here before the two teams head to Hyderabad for the last match.
