Fortress of a stadium and a sumptuous dinner greet teams in Jaipur

An international cricket match will be played at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium after two years, so the buzz around this venue is understandable. Pakistan beat India during the last one-dayer played here. Come Sunday and they will play South Africa, a side that has proved to be strong rivals in harsh sub-continental conditions.The Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) is all set to host the first of the three one-day internationals in the backdrop of a terror threat that has seen a posse of security guards engulfing the stadium and turning it into a fortress.There isn’t a chance in hell that one can make a way into the stadium without an ID card or a valid pass. Spectators won’t be allowed to even take a pen into the stadium. That means autograph hunters won’t get lucky. “Things are in control right now. We will ensure that the game goes off smoothly,” an RCA official said. The teams arrived in Jaipur on Friday evening. Though the No.1 ranking isn’t at stake, this series will decide who remains No.2 in the ODI rankings. India is second, while South Africa third. On Friday night, the RCA hosted a dinner for the two teams at a five-star hotel. Delicacies were served to the South Africans, but stand-in skipper Jacques Kallis will know that there will be no generosity shown by the Indians on the field on Sunday.Batting wicketThe Sawai Man Singh Stadium pitch promises to be a mouthwatering tie on Sunday. The last tie here in 2007 was a high-scoring one with India coming close to chasing Pakistan’s total of 306. “We’ve prepared a batting wicket. It is a 270 wicket,” curator Taposh Chatterjee said. It is still winter here and hence dew will be a factor. The team batting second will be at an advantage as it will be difficult for the fielding side to grip the ball.