The England team is in its final week in India, and they wanted all of the visiting party to experience cricket at the stunning Dharamsala Stadium. It was time to provide the non-playing staff with a taste of the action after their warm-up and slip-fielding session.
Ben Stokes, the skipper, assumed command while the support staff, which included chef David Pyle, were positioned behind him for their own game of slip-catching. Stokes hurled balls while Pyle, Team physician Glen Rae, media manager Danny Reuben, and massage therapist Mark Saxby made a valiant effort to catch them. Pyle was the team member who held on to a catch the longest during the session, receiving the loudest cheer from the rest of the group.
The net anxiety of Patidar
The Indian team has a custom of having an optional practise session on the eve of a game. The players are free to choose whether or not to show up at the ground, according to the team management. One observed the less seasoned players showing up for the net session one day prior to the final Test. Kuldeep Yadav, pacers Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar, and Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal, and Dhruv Jurel were observed waving their arms as they came out to bat. Patidar felt a little nervous as Akash helped him out twice. After a couple of poor scores, the batsman was back in the nets taking on the pacers.
Later, batting coach Vikram Rathour asked him if he would rather play throwdowns or take on the India pacers. Patidar made the decision to keep batting. He is a “talent player,” according to captain Rohit Sharma, and the team management will keep supporting the out-of-form batsman. “I like to refer to certain players as talent players when you see them. I consider someone to be a talented player if I like the way they bat. At the pre-match press conference, Sharma stated, “I like to call him a talent player, not just talented.
Stokes’ extended tenure
At the Dharamsala stadium, Ben Stokes was once again observed bowling for more than 20 minutes. During the fourth Test in Ranchi, there were rumours that Stokes would make a comeback to bowling in the professional game of cricket, but that never materialised. Stokes had knee surgery in June of last year and hasn’t bowled since. Though it’s unclear when he will bowl during a match, he has been doing so on the sidelines of every Test match. Stokes appears to be taking things one step at a time and is not in a hurry. He bowled on the side pitches off his full run-up at Dharamsala. Despite taking his time, he was developing good form on his outswingers.
It will be interesting to watch if Stokes chooses to increase the team’s bowling options over the next five days, as England trails the series 3-1.
Being comfortable in strange surroundings
The climate and surroundings in Dharamsala give players the impression that they are playing outside of India. Although the home team played a Test match here in 2017, it’s usually hard to concentrate on the game due to the area’s breathtaking scenery. The ambiance is difficult to resist, but the Indian team isn’t grumbling.
Although a test match is different, we have played cricket in similar weather before. Although we may not have performed in India, we have performed in England. They have put our team in a situation where we are at a loss for what to do, but I don’t think that’s a huge challenge. We’ve experienced something similar before. The location is different, and the aerial view is breathtaking,” stated captain Rohit Sharma.
