Bengaluru: Team India have started their preparations for the final frontier that will start from February 22 against the Aussies in Chennai and presently the team have been undergoing a three-day practice camp at M.Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore.
The team members were looking busy as the practice session was carried out for the full day. Sachin Tendulkar spent some quality time with Virat Kohli in nets for company. In addition to the main wicket, India’s batsmen also took turns in the nets, facing tennis-ball throws from fielding coach Trevor Penney.
It was great to see all 15 members of the team getting ready for the tough series. Later they were accompanied by Lakshmipathy Balaji and Irfan Pathan, who were in National Cricket Academy for their rehabilitation, who bowled few overs to Indian batsmen.
The only combination that team looks undecided on is the opening slot. Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan are giving tough competition to each other for the spot. But today in practice session, Virender Sehwag came out with Murali Vijay and gave some clue about what’s going on in the mind of skipper MS Dhoni and coach Duncan Fletcher with regard to the opening pair.
Meanwhile taking about the combination ex-cricketers had different views on the issue. Former opener Chethan Chauhan was looking in favour of Shikhar Dhawan because of his recent Ranji form and his experience of first-class matches, apart keeping the right hand- left hand combination in balance if he opens. According to Chauhan the left-right combination always creates problems for bowlers who need to adjust their line and length every now and then.
However ex-coach of Indian cricket team Anshuman Gaekwad picked up Murali Vijay as his choice because of his experience at international level in past few years. According to Gaekwad, Vijay can take off some burden of Sehwag’s shoulder and that can help India to get a good solid start. “He knows how to play a ball on its merit and his stroke making on leg-side is very strong,” said Gaekwad.
Sehwag and Vijay batted almost for an hour. Sehwag was looking in good touch and was going for some big hits off Harbhajan and Jadeja.