If curator Radheyshyam Sharma is to be believed, the pitch "will be full of runs."

"There'll be lot of runs. Batting will be easy as the day progresses. The more the sun shines, the better for batsmen," opined Sharma.

His remarks assume significance as the pitch for the match will be put to use for the first time after being re-laid.

Replying to a question, the curator said, "I can't predict how many runs it will produce but the pitch will be the best in India."

EXTRAORDINARY SECURITY
As part of extraordinary security measures, helicopters and anti-aircraft guns have been deployed around the Ferozeshah Kotla, where Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will watch the final ODI between India and Pakistan on Sunday.

Two helicopters will be parked at Ambedkar Stadium, a football ground, adjacent to the Kotla, in case of emergency evacuation.

The final mock exercise for emergency evacuation, involving security agencies and fire fighters, was held yesterday. A similar drill was held on Friday also.

A military helicopter made two landings inside the Ambedkar Stadium, where a temporary helipad has been constructed, and another army copter made an aerial survey of the stadium as well as the Kotla.

A special exit has been prepared at the Kotla to enable the VVIPs to use in case of emergency.

Anti-aircraft guns would be deployed at all the places Musharraf visits during his stay in Delhi and the sky over the Kotla has been declared "no-fly" zone during the duration of the match.

Radio-jammers have been installed in and around the stadium to prevent explosives being set off by remote-control.

All the officials for the match -- field umpires Billy Bowden of New Zealand and AV Jayaprakash of India, third umpire I Sivaram and ICC Match Referee Chris Broad -- will be provided with walkie-talkies because normal mobile phones would not work in view of deployment of jamming devices.

Musharraf will travel from Taj Mansingh Hotel to the Kotla in a bullet proof vehicle used by the Indian president.

Posse of security men and women swarmed the Kotla frisking and checking the identity cards of the people going there.

The air-conditioned bullet-proof enclosure for the VVIPs has been erected and its positioning gives a fantastic view of the match.

The tickets for the match were sold out within two hours of the start of sale at various branches of a nationalised bank amidst reports of jostling and chaos at several counters of the bank in Delhi.

ENTER DILLI HAAT FOR FREE
The New Delhi city administration was Friday planning special delights for some 2,000 Pakistani cricket fans scheduled to watch the final one-day match here between the two national teams.

They said fans will get free entry to tourism spots such as Dilli Haat, a highly-popular ethnic shopping plaza.

"For the next five days the Pakistani fans will enjoy free entry at the Dilli Haat," said New Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development manager Suman Sharma.

New Delhi will also organise trips to the Taj Mahal town of Agra and to Jaipur in the desert state of Rajasthan, Sharma said, adding that hotels, food and transport will be on offer across the once-troubled borders.