[ad_1]
India are set to face the Netherlands in their second warm-up match, with the first one having been entirely washed out in Guwahati. The second game will be held in Thiruvananthapuram and India will be hoping to give the players who would form the core of their options in the World Cup a good go before the first match against Australia on October 8.
According to reports, the team held a training session at St Xaviers College KCA Cricket Ground here on Monday ahead of their final warm-up game against the Netherlands before the World Cup begins. Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur and Ravichandran Ashwin practised hard in the net sessions while Ishan Kishan along with Jasprit Bumrah appeared to focus more on the fielding aspect. Virat Kohli didn’t join the team for the optional training session but is reportedly set to link up with the squad ahead of the match. Kohli had left for Mumbai from Guwahati for some emergency personal reasons on September 30 and wasn’t available for the afternoon training session at the local college ground here.
Shubman Gill and KL Rahul were also seen practising their shots. India will be walking into the World Cup riding high on confidence after lifting the Asia Cup and securing the three-match ODI series against Australia 2-1. India have already brought in Ravichandran Ashwin in their 15-man squad in place of injured Axar Patel. Ashwin has vast experience and provides variety to India’s bowling attack. While India’s first match maybe on October 8, the tournament itself starts on Thursday.
How the weather looks on Tuesday
Unfortunately for those looking to get their eye in with the warm-up match, the weather could end up having other plans. The forecast looks quite gloomy in Thiruvananthapuram. Thunderstorms and showers have been forecast throughout the day, according to AccuWeather and the city could receive about 11.2mm of rain. While that might not be too much rain in a practical sense, it is forecast to be pattering down throughout the day which would make a game of cricket unfeasible.
Among those in the team who skipped the session apart from Kohli were captain Rohit Sharma, batter Shreyas Iyer and pacer Mohammed Shami. Suryakumar Yadav, who is fighting to get into the team possibly ahead of Iyer, took part in the session. India’s first match against Australia will be at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai.
[ad_2]
Source link