Colombo: Sep 21, 2012
The booming drives, the fierce
cuts and the loft shots be the order of the day at the Indian team's preparation
sitting on Friday as batsmen concerted on taking the mid-air route after a cowed
start to the World Twenty20 against Afghanistan.
If one take a close seem at the
Indian bat card in their gap game against Afghanistan, the champion of the 2007
edition might hit only four sixes, and that too next to an inexpert attack.
Virat Kohli hit two while there
was immediately one each for Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Kohli's
second six, in information, could have broken in a vicious circle have the
fielder stationed at the deep mid-wicket not completed a muddle of it.
No wonder, every and every
batsman determined to go all out throughout the gruelling three-hour training sitting
at the P Sara Oval soil here, two days ahead of the big-ticket encounter alongside
defensive champions England.
From Gautam Gambhir to Irfan
Pathan, everybody seem to be in a mood to clear the rigging whether while in
front of the bowlers at the nets or as in receipt of throwdowns.
It seemed the aim was to reimburse
for the lack of big ones next to the minnows the extra night.
In contrast, the Indian bowlers yet
again looked lacklustre as Zaheer Khan, L Balaji and Irfan Pathan were taken to
the cleaners by Dhoni and group.
The drill was simple -- each and
every batsman faced throwdowns from Trevor Penney and Joe Dawes before departing
to the nets. The orders seemed to be clear -- go for the maximum.
While the batsmen played the big
shots, the bowlers looked like leaving through the motion.
Zaheer, who has copped a lot of
flak of late for life form out of sorts, didn't look in his element.
'Zak', as he is commonly known in
the bandage room, was singled absent by Dhoni who tried his trademark
'helicopter shot' time and again.
One wondered whether the Indian head
would endorse himself up the order as he have an extensive session -- the longest
in the middle of all the batsmen. Even the push box at the P Sara not interest
the brunt of Dhoni's brute power as one of his shot damaged its face glass.
The in-form Kohli didn't spare
the veteran pacer for whom nothing seems to be going right these days.
Yuvraj was rested due to sore
throat while Suresh Raina opt out of the session due to a belly bug.
The English team, though, had a dissimilar
session at the Nondescripts Cricket Club the past. The batsmen seemed to be in
a turn mode' as they aim to answer
Ravichandran Ashwin and Co on Sunday.
Just like Graham Gooch practiced next
to former Mumbai left-arm spinner Ravi Thakkar in front of the 1987 Reliance
Cup semi-final at the Wankhede sports ground to oppose Maninder Singh's danger,
the English batsmen were seen trying to negotiate all the off-spinners who have
twisted up at the nets.
Skipper Stuart Broad, however, determined
to keep cards shut to his chest when ask about the decision to only face
spinners at the nets.
"Spin is a factor but it
won't be the only factor," Broad state.
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