The HPCA stadium in Dharamsala is one of the most picturesque cricket stadiums in the world © Getty Images
Dharamsala: No liquor will be served to VIP’s and guests during the India-South Africa Twenty20 International (T20I) at Dharamsala for the first time as the game falls on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary. Informing this the Deputy Commissioner of Kangra Ritesh Chauhan said that because the match falls on Gandhi Jayanti — the birthday of the ‘father of the nation’, it is a ‘dry day’ throughout the country. Chauhan further said, “the authorities conducting the Indo-South Africa T20 tie have also been informed that liquor is prohibited in public places on October 2″. The game to be played at HPCA Stadium will be the inaugural match of the Mahatma Gandhi-Nelson Mandela series.
South Africa earlier lost the Twenty20 warm-up game against Mandeep Singh-led India A by 8 wickets at Palam in Delhi on Tuesday. While JP Duminy slammed an unbeaten 68 and was well-supported by skipper Faf du Plessis’s 32-ball 42 to guide their side to 189 for 3 after 20 overs, the bowling attack failed to contain the Indian top-order. Openers Mayank Agarwal (87) and Manan Vohra (56) added 119 for the opening wicket, before Mandeep guided the hosts home along with wicketkeeper batsman Sanju Samson.
The warm-up fixture was the first game for the Proteas in their 72-day tour of India, which consists of four Tests, five One-Day Internationals (ODI) and three T20Is. The South Africans will be eager to improve their record in India, which hasn’t been a very good one given their quality. The visitors made two major changes in their ODI squad, with Albie Morkel and Khaya Zondo coming in place of David Wiese and Rilee Rossouw. READ: Albie Morkel, Khaya Zondo to replace David Wiese, Rilee Rossouw in ODIs