By IANS,
Chandigarh : Test squads of India and England arrived here Tuesday evening, amid an unprecedented security cover, to take part in the second and final cricket Test match of the series.
Cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Kevin Pieterson and Andrew Flintoff reached hotel Taj and went straight to their respective rooms, avoiding the media persons who were waiting outside the hotel for over three hours.
The match is slated to start Dec 19 at Punjab Cricket association (PCA) stadium in Mohali district in Punjab, around 10 km from here.
“The England team will take part in practice session Wednesday morning at PCA stadium and thereafter the representative of the team will address the press conference there at around 1 p.m.,” Sushil Kapoor, England team coordinator who accompanied the team from Chandigarh airport to the hotel, told IANS.
The area upto 500 meters from the hotel Taj was cordoned off and no vehicle was allowed into the area without checking.
“We have spread a three-tier security cover around the hotel Taj. Every vehicle coming here is thoroughly searched twice before allowing it to come near the hotel and no private vehicle is allowed to go inside the hotel premises,” said Madhur Verma, assistant superintendent of police.
He said: “We have stationed a bomb disposal squad and commandos outside the hotel all through day and night. Our officers in civil clothes are on duty inside the hotel to keep an eye on any anti-social activity. Also the guests, who will check in the hotel now onwards (will) have to fill a detailed form about their identity and purpose of visit.”