Nagpur: The Australian cricket team had a practice session at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium at Jamtha here on Monday, opting to utilise the extra day they got to stay in Nagpur because the first ended in three days.
According to VCA officials, the Aussies sought the ground from 10 AM for practice on what could actually have been the fifth day of the match as per the schedule. But the match ended on the third itself after Pat Cummins’ side stumbled to 91 all out in their second innings inside one session as they were humbled by innings and 132 runs by Rohit Sharma’s side thanks to superb bowling by Ravindra Jadeja, in the first innings, and Ravichandran Ashwin in the second.
On Sunday, the Aussies had sought to practice on the same central wicket on which they had suffered the debacle, getting out for 91, their lowest-ever score on Indian soil. However, they had to cancel that session as the groundsmen had watered the pitch after the match so that they can start getting it ready for the next match.
But after their former players made a lot of hue-and-cry over losing the opportunity to bat on that low bounce, slow spinning track, the team scheduled an ‘optional’ training session on Monday, which means the players can choose to take part in the practice session or opt-out,
The Australians had tried to schedule that practice session for those batters who were not part of the playing XI for the first Test. It was supposed to help them gain experience of playing on a spinning track on which the team had suffered a big defeat.
However, with the groundsmen deciding to water the pitch and the nearby areas, they could not practice on that pitch. Now on Monday, they had optional practice on the adjoining pitch.
Sanjay Badkar, honorary secretary, Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) said they have not received any request to make the central pitch available for a practice session. He said he would not like to talk about the match with the media as it is already over.
The Indians too had an optional practice scheduled to train at the same venue at Jamtha in the afternoon.
–IANS
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