INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
AHMEDABAD: There has been much debate about the pitches favouring India and the BCCI switching pitches to suit the home team
Head coach Rahul Dravid and the rest of the support staff have only added to the drama
Before every game, they have gone to the venue straight from the airport, while the rest of the team members have gone to the hotel
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Stadiumwas on view.Does it mean a sluggish surface, especially in the first innings like it happened in the game against Pakistan? In that
Dravid and Rohit were engaged in a long discussion with the curator as soon as the covers came off from the pitch
Bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, fielding coach T Dilip and batting coach Vikram Rathour joined in
Dravid was also seen having a long conversation on his phone after seeing the surface
Rohit then requested Dilip to give him a few drills of low catches to simulate slip catching against spin
Is that a clue? The Indian skipper even had a long conversation with former batting coach Sanjay Bangar and former India player Mohammad
Kaif, a member of the 2003 World Cup team that lost to Australia in the final, prior to heading to the nets area
It was an optional training day for India and only six players attended the session
Apart from the captain, allrounder Ravindra Jadeja, off-spinner R Ashwin, wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, vice-captain KL Rahul and seamer
Prasidh Krishna were in attendance
Ashwin had a spell with the ball and while batting, had a long hit against left-arm throwdowns
Was he preparing for the threat of Mitchell Starc? Is the team management thinking of playing three spinners anticipating a low, slow track
then? Or will they go with what has worked for them and remain unchanged since the Dharamshala game against New Zealand? The Aussies who
travelled to the city from Kolkata will be having their first nets session on Saturday afternoon
They will have happy memories of the venue, having beaten England a fortnight back.
