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BGT: There has been a furor in the media about Team India’s closed-door practice sessions ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The allegations emanating mainly from Australian news sources are that India is to secretly hold its practice sessions as no one, not even the groundsmen at the WACA Ground, were allowed to snap photos or video record.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has pointedly thrown out these allegations by stating there were no restrictions.
Misleading information on restricted entry for India’s Intra-squad match before BGT
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The practice sessions of Team India at the WACA Ground are said to be under wraps, according to reports that appeared in *The Australian* newspaper. The report states that workers doing the renovation work in the stadium were allegedly asked by their CEO not to capture any pictures or use drone shots during the net sessions of India. The following email, supposedly sent by ADCO Construction to employees, allegedly instructed them to refrain from watching or taking footage of the Indian team’s practice.
In this respect, the newspaper carried on from this argument and suggested that this was part of a larger strategy by India- to hide their preparations for the Test series citing the fact that the restriction and the fact that the team practiced between November 12 and 17- prior to the first Test in Perth.
BCCI Denies Any Such Restrictions
However, the BCCI has quickly rejected such reports. A BCCI official, who preferred to remain unnamed, clarified that no official communication had gone out soliciting closed-door practices or restricting media coverage. “No one has made any such demand from the Indian or India A team. The practice sessions are open to all. Both Indian and Australian media are free to watch and cover these sessions as they wish,” the official stated.
This is contrary to the media reports, as they had suggested that the Indian team’s practices were held behind closed doors as a way of keeping them away from both the public and the media.
“Intra-Squad” Practice Match
Apart from practice net sessions, Team India will feature in an “intra-squad” match in Perth that will be a simulation of a full match. India A has also arrived in Perth and will feature in this practice setup. Unlike a proper first-class match, the intra-squad game will allow for some extra room to move, meaning that some batsmen may get to bat more than once. This format is intended to get as much preparatory work done for both batsmen and bowlers alike before the Test series.
For example, bowlers like Mohammad Siraj and Akash Deep need to bowl longer spells to Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, the main batsmen. The practice will be more like a match, but with an eye on ensuring that the batsmen and bowlers get enough chances to understand what isn’t clicking and then work on it on the main pitch.
Virat Kohli and the Other Players Prepare
Indian team resumes practice sessions on Wednesday afternoon whereas top batsmen like Virat Kohli take longer hours of batting practice in the nets. Kohli, among other batsmen, was fine-tuning his technique in the nets, but India’s captain Rohit Sharma and babies of nine months are yet to arrive from Mumbai as baby number two is due for birth. He is still a question mark at least for the first Test, but coach Gautam Gambhir hopes that Sharma can join time and be ready for the first game.
Referring to Team India’s practice sessions in secrecy for BGT, there has been quite a controversy. But BCCI has retaliated dismissing those claims stating no such restrictions are there.
The team continues to prepare for the BGT by way of practice sessions and match simulations to ensure that players come into peak form before the Test series in Perth. Media confusion notwithstanding, the Indian team stays the course as it looks to begin well.
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