Date:30/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/30/stories/2008093056502000.htm

Sport - Cricket

Getting ready for the big series

Principal Correspondent

— Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

FINE-TUNING: V.V.S. Laxman and Rahul Dravid sharpening their fielding skills at the preparatory camp in Bangalore on Monday.

BANGALORE: A clutch of Indian cricketers, led by Test skipper Anil Kumble, began their preparatory camp at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Monday morning. The camp is a prelude to the series against Australia which starts here on October 9.

The support staff of coach Gary Kirsten, mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton, bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad, fielding coach Robin Singh and physio Nitin Patel kept a close watch as 13 players assembled at the stadium for the camp that will be held till October 4.

Monday’s outing was restricted to fitness and fielding drills that stretched past noon.

The players — Kumble, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, V.V.S. Laxman, Virender Sehwag, M.S. Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Mohammad Kaif, Gautam Gambhir, R.P. Singh, Munaf Patel and Ishant Sharma — started out with a warm-up game akin to frisbee and then switched over to shuttle runs in batches.

Kirsten, Prasad and Robin then conducted fielding drills with emphasis on fielding in the close-cordon and in the deep. Sharp low catches and quick returns just above the stumps were drills that were repeated.

Minor scare

There was a scare when Kirsten slashed and the edge flew quick and grazed Dravid’s nose. Dravid flinched but quickly got back to the routine of fine-tuning his slip catching.

The players will have a round of nets on Tuesday. — Principal Correspondent