CHENNAI: Having arrived in batches over the last couple of days, the Indian team had a closed-door training session at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday. With less than a week to go for the first Test against Bangladesh, the Indian team, coached by Gautam Gambhir, were put through their paces, perhaps for the first time since all the support staff were appointed.
While assistant coaches Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate travelled with Gambhir to Sri Lanka, the latest appointment was bowling coach Morne Morkel, who was with the team on Friday.
Pretty much the entire squad was present including Rohit Sharma, who landed on Thursday night. Virat Kohli, whose last Test on home soil was against Australia last March, was one of the last to arrive as he landed on Friday. R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Kuldeep Yadav, players who can already be considered as locks to feature in the first Test on Thursday, were also present.
Among the players who were not at the venue was Sarfaraz Khan, currently in Anantapur, playing the second round of Duleep Trophy for India B. That KL Rahul has been included and had a good knock in the opening round are indications that he might walk in as No 5 after missing out for a majority of the England series because of an injury. Similarly, a toss up between Dhruv Jurel and Pant, who last played a Test in December 2022, will also be interesting. That Pant has been named in the squad for the Test in Chennai means he could play the first match and then be rested with Jurel coming in. It could be clear in the coming days as the Indian team continues to train at the venue.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh team and the support staff are expected to arrive directly in the city early next week. Shakib Al Hasan, who was playing county cricket for Surrey in England, will be arriving separately. They will be training for three-four days in the lead up to the Test on September 19.
Inclement weather
With monsoon weak over peninsular India, the city is in the middle of a prolonged dry spell, with temperatures regularly hovering around the 36*c mark over the last week or so. However, an instability in the atmosphere could be around the corner, just in time for the first Test. If forecasts hold true, there could be severe thunderstorms, especially during the first three days of the Test.
New covers for Green Park
After the Chennai Test, India and Bangladesh are scheduled to reach Kanpur via chartered flights on September 24. With the second Test starting three days later, the teams will have two practice sessions ahead of the match. Bangladesh will train in the morning on September 25 while the home team will practice in the evening. The next day, India will go first in the training nets with the visitors practising in the evening.
The weather forecast suggests day one of the match will be mostly cloudy with chances of a thunderstorm in spots in the morning and a passing shower in the afternoon. The forecast is the same for the preceding day. It is expected to remain cloudy with a couple of showers and a thunderstorm in the afternoon.
With the monsoon withdrawing during that period, the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) has ordered new covers to make sure the whole ground is covered if it rains. “The covers have been ordered through the BCCI and they are on their way. We are also keeping a tab on the weather and at the moment, it seems all clear. However, we are ready to cover the entire ground if need arises with the new covers,” said a UPCA official.