The Barabati Stadium here presents a serene picture after the chaotic traffic and the heat and dust of the town outside.
The stadium is ready to host the match between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday.
The venue had hosted two of Chargers' ‘home' matches in 2010, but failed to get one last year. This year it will host two games, one on Sunday and the other on May 1 against Pune Warriors India.
The ground is in superb condition despite the sweltering heat and the pitch sports a fair amount of grass. Curator Pankaj Patnaik says the pitch will be suitable for the shortest version of the game and predicts a total in excess of 160 will be a winning score.
The teams flew in this afternoon and preferred to rest at the hotel in Bhubaneswar.
They are expected to practice on Saturday afternoon at the stadium. The practice pitches too have a good amount of grass.
Chargers will be looking for a turnaround in fortunes. It has lost all the four matches it has played so far. The two combatants will play Kolkata Knight Riders back to back. The two will then meet again at the Eden Gardens on April 24.
The Odisha Cricket Association has no role whatsoever to play during the two games. The entire show is being run by the Deccan Chargers management.
