Test match houseful for the first time !

As per VCA sources, till yesterday around 42,000 tickets were sold out and this is a record as far as crowd turnout for the Test matches at VCA Jamtha is concerned. The totla capacity is VCA Jamtha Stadium is 44,000. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma too appreciated it during press conference and said, " It is good sign for Test cricket. Feels good that so many people are coming for Day 1. They should come at all the venues, not just Nagpur. It feels great when the crowd turns up. People want to watch good Test."

Rohit appreciates Nagpur hospitality

Nagpur born Rohit Sharma has appreciated the hospitality and facilities the cricketers get in Nagpur. He said, " This is a good ground, big ground. I get good support. There have been

good matches here. In India, there are some grounds where it feels good to play. This is one of those. All boys like it here. When you play a Test, you first come and see how the dining room is, changing area is, recovery room is, all facilities are there. You have to be here for eight days for a Test match. All facilities are good here."

Tight security for Test match

At least 2,000 personnel of police will be deployed in the VCA stadium in Nagpur city of or the India-Australia test cricket match starting February 9, an official said on Wednesday.

Quick Response Team (QRT) personnel will be deployed on the route from two city-based hotels, where the players are currently staying, to the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium in Jamtha area, he said. Nagpur Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar chaired several meetings with senior officers to fine-tune security and traffic arrangements for the cricket match, the official said. "2,000 police personnel including eight Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs), 10 Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs), 35 Police Inspectors, 138 Assistant Inspectors of Police (APIs) and Police Sub-Inspectors (PSIs) will be deployed in the stadium during the match. More than 40 metal detectors and door frame monitors would be installed at all entry points as security measures," he added.

Only Unadkat turns up for practice

Generally a day before the match, the cricket teams go thru a rigorous training session. But in the past few years it has changed and the teams prefer to take rest. Therefore on Wednesday only Indian pacer Jaydev Unadkat along with coach Rahul Dravid and batting coach Vikran Rathore turned up at VCA Jamtha for practice. However, most of the Australian team members attended the practice session and worked out hard ahead of the match.