VISAKHAPATNAM, Apr 3 (UNI): India and Pakistan teams arrived in this Port city from Kochi this evening to play in the second one-day match of the Pepsi Cup one day series on Tuesday.
The two teams came to the city in a special chartered flight and were given a traditional welcome at Taj Residency hotel by the hotel staff, dressed in traditional Andhra Sarees.
The players looked little jaded as the flight arrived in the city nearly 90 minutes late.
However, master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who dazzled at Kochi with a haul of five wickets, looked quite springy as he jumped out of the bus and virtually ran into the hotel.
The city wore a festive look as many buildings were decorated to welcome the players.
Corporation staff had kept the highway spotlessly clean right from the airport to the hotel.
Some of the roads leading to the airport were also newly asphalted to give the players a neat ride to the hotel.
In many places, people thronged either sides of the road and cheered their heroes even as the motorcade passed through the city roads.
Buntings, banners and hoardings were written, praising the cricketers and hailing the friendly fight between the traditional rivals even as one of the hoardings aptly announced "Say Yes For Runs, Say No For Guns".
Police had made elaborate security arrangements as policemen stood throughout the 12-km from the airport to the hotel.
The teams hotel has been virtually turned into a fortress with a horde of poliemen at every point in and around the sprawling building overlooking the Bay of Bengal.
Newspersons and photographers had a tough time as the city police did not allow them to move anywhere near the players.
They were forced to stay put at a pandal, erected little too far off from the hotel entrance.