[ad_1]
The serene atmosphere in the foothills of the snowy mountain range was disturbed by the whirring of a helicopter blades. For the first time, India captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid landed for the team’s net session in a helicopter. The two were special guests at the Himachal Pradesh khel mahotsav in Bilaspur, about 150 kilometers from here. Sports Minister and former BCCI president Anurag Thakur organized the annual event that attracts thousands of schoolchildren. Rohit, in stylish aviators, would soon join the team for an intense training session. With the wet and gloomy conditions of the last few days, the players looked eager to get into action ahead of the final test of the series.
Jasprit Bumrah, returning after skipping the fourth Test, was one of the first to reach the nets. For the coldest test of the series, he took his time to relax. He would start bowling without warning. Little by little, he would increase the number of steps and before reaching the peak of his stroke and throw at full speed. Apart from the sound of the helicopter earlier in the day, the other crack was that of Bumrah’s lightning strike hitting the center of Shubman Gill’s bat.
Feel comfortable
After their scoring session, the English players left the team bus and hit the road. The pleasant Tuesday morning was perfect for a walk or jog around the mountain town. It was a pleasant surprise for the locals, who dedicated themselves to taking photographs. England fans have also been invading the city and can be seen in pubs and restaurants. A group of English fans, not far from the stadium, were beginning to feel rural life. With the help of a peasant woman, they operated the wheeled machine used to cut the livestock’s feed. Around 5,000 English fans are expected to come to the city during the test. The conditions are English, the town has English fans; For Ben Stokes and his team, the final game of the series would remind them of home.
batting tips
There is a famous video of Sarfaraz Khan’s debut test in Rajkot. As a tearful father Naushad stands near the boundary rope watching his son get a Test cap, captain Rohit approaches him. Having played most of his early cricket in the Mumbai maidans, Rohit knows the effort Naushad has put into his son’s cricket. He would appreciate Naushad’s hard work and shake his hand. The father would get emotional and say, “Uska dhyan rakhna (take care of him).” Rohit nodded his head. Today, after a long batting season, Sarfaraz and Rohit were seen having a long chat. The young man has scores of 62, 68 not out, 14 and 0 in this series. A big knock here could allow him to cement his place in the Test team.
bumrah batting
It was a day when all the players would have a long hitting season. The bowlers also stepped up and took on the bowling specialists and top pacers. Bumrah, after his bowling stint, started batting. He would be hunched over as he faced batting coach Vikram Rathore’s knocks. “I’m working on keeping the balls away that really stay low,” he says. Was that a clue to the nature of the field? It is said to spin slowly but will have an uneven bounce. Even if not, Bumrah is preparing for any eventuality.
Jadeja’s batting hunger
Ravindra Jadeja had two long seasons of batting in the nets. Despite coaches asking him to end his session and others begging him to move, the all-rounder asked for “a few more balls.” Dharamshala is likely to test Jadeja’s fitness and flexibility. After the test in cold conditions, Jadeja will move to dry Chennai for the Super Kings camp. It is not easy to be a 3D player in all three formats.
team dinner
The Indian team management had organized a last dinner before the final test at the team hotel. It is a ritual where each member, along with her family, is invited.