Team India begins Preparation for One Day International Series

* ACA denies Dhoni issue.

* Only mobile phone, money purse and baby food for the crowd in stadium.

* Gate will open at 11-30am on match day.

Our Sports Reporter

GUWAHATI: With India set to play the first ODI against West Indies at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Sunday Indian cricket team, led by captain Virat Kohli, began the preparation at the same venue on Friday morning. The five-match series will kick off on Sunday.

The ODI will return into the city with this game and that too after a gap of nearly eight years. Last time Guwahati hosted an ODI was in 2010 where India face New Zealand and the game was held at the Nehru stadium. It will also be the first occasion when newly built Barsapa Cricket Stadium, which earlier organized a T20I between India and Australia, will host an ODI.

After whitewashing Windies in the two-Test match series, the men in blue will look to carry forward the same momentum in limited-overs cricket to register another thumping victory. The return of Kohli, who rested in Asia Cup, will add some extra edge to the team.

Indian team today spent nearly three hours at the ACA stadium, Barsapara and took part in different physical activities. The players were also seen to play soccer. After last evening’s episode with MS Dhoni, the security official was today alert and didn’t allow crowds to come near the members of Team India.

Dhoni’s incident took place last evening when he was cordoned off by the crowds, most of whom were security personnel, after the wicketkeeper batsmen were returning into the pavilion completing his net practice. Some of them tried to take a selfie with him.

Although there was news in the morning that Dhoni had lodged an official complain to the BCCI but the officials of the Assam Cricket Association today denied such news. The secretary of the Assam Cricket Association Pradip Buragohain said, “The news to lodge complain by Dhoni to BCCI is not true. Yes, we received some communication from Team India where we were told to keep the players' zone crowd-free and we have taken a step in this regard immediately.”

The Caribbean team also came at the stadium for their routine practise session this afternoon.

Meanwhile, all the gates of the stadium will open at 11-30am on match day. Buragohain said, “ Only three items crowd can carry at the time of entering the stadium and these are a mobile phone, money purse and baby food.”