11:48 PM
Editor
It was a day of hectic activity on and off the field for the Indian cricket team, a high-octane meeting at the hotel mid-afternoon and a lengthy practice session later at the IIT-Chemplast grounds on Thursday being the major talking points.
India’s first full stint ahead of their showdown against the West Indies on Sunday didn’t include skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his deputy Virender Sehwag. Dhoni is down with cold and mild fever but should be fit by Friday morning, while the dashing Sehwag is still nursing an injury to his right knee sustained during the win against Bangladesh in Dhaka on February 19, and stayed back in the hotel to rest the knee.
There are no major doubts at this stage about Sehwag’s availability for Sunday, with BCCI secretary N Srinivasan, also the president of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, telling newsmen that the opener would play against the West Indies. It is expected that both Dhoni and Sehwag will turn up for practice at the MA Chidambaram stadium on Friday morning.
In their first full training session since the embarrassing loss to South Africa in Nagpur last Saturday, India spent hours at the impeccably maintained IIT grounds polishing their wares. In attendance was national selection committee chairman Krishnamachari Srikkanth, who spoke individually to each of the bealeaguered bowlers as well as to Yuvraj Singh, who has also emerged as a key part-time option with the happy knack of picking up wickets. Sachin Tendulkar spent a lot of time brushing up his cover-driving.
Before the team left for the hotel, a meeting of sorts involving senior players Dhoni, Sehwag, Tendulkar and Yuvraj, a couple of members of the coaching staff including Kirsten, and Srinivasan and Srikkanth took stock of India’s campaign to date.
A strong case was made out from beyond the playing and coaching contingents, it is learnt, for the inclusion of the hitherto untried R Ashwin for the West Indies match, even if it has to be at the expense of Harbhajan Singh.
Opinion was also divided on which one of Ashish Nehra or Munaf Patel should be the second specialist pacer alongside Zaheer Khan.
The team is said to have received a ticking-off of sorts. Among the things the players have been told to avoid, it is learnt, are social meetings, any further holidays during the World Cup, and public and media interactions. They have also been instructed to refrain from paying attention to what is said on television or what appears in print.
The exercise is aimed at saving ‘image’ after the Nagpur loss, and focusing entirely on the road ahead. Did the team, however, need to be told that at this juncture of its campaign? After all, they do know their responsibilities; no one wants to win the World Cup more than them.
There are no major doubts at this stage about Sehwag’s availability for Sunday, with BCCI secretary N Srinivasan, also the president of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, telling newsmen that the opener would play against the West Indies. It is expected that both Dhoni and Sehwag will turn up for practice at the MA Chidambaram stadium on Friday morning.
In their first full training session since the embarrassing loss to South Africa in Nagpur last Saturday, India spent hours at the impeccably maintained IIT grounds polishing their wares. In attendance was national selection committee chairman Krishnamachari Srikkanth, who spoke individually to each of the bealeaguered bowlers as well as to Yuvraj Singh, who has also emerged as a key part-time option with the happy knack of picking up wickets. Sachin Tendulkar spent a lot of time brushing up his cover-driving.
Before the team left for the hotel, a meeting of sorts involving senior players Dhoni, Sehwag, Tendulkar and Yuvraj, a couple of members of the coaching staff including Kirsten, and Srinivasan and Srikkanth took stock of India’s campaign to date.
A strong case was made out from beyond the playing and coaching contingents, it is learnt, for the inclusion of the hitherto untried R Ashwin for the West Indies match, even if it has to be at the expense of Harbhajan Singh.
Opinion was also divided on which one of Ashish Nehra or Munaf Patel should be the second specialist pacer alongside Zaheer Khan.
The team is said to have received a ticking-off of sorts. Among the things the players have been told to avoid, it is learnt, are social meetings, any further holidays during the World Cup, and public and media interactions. They have also been instructed to refrain from paying attention to what is said on television or what appears in print.
The exercise is aimed at saving ‘image’ after the Nagpur loss, and focusing entirely on the road ahead. Did the team, however, need to be told that at this juncture of its campaign? After all, they do know their responsibilities; no one wants to win the World Cup more than them.
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