Sharmistha Gooptu in Manchester
The warm-up was ongoing inside the ground when I entered the media centre this morning. Old Trafford is a place where India have a history of heartbreak, and coming after Lord’s which was a big disappointment, it seems spirit will count for a lot here, anyway given the weather conditions.
It’s been cold since yesterday, though today isn’t very windy. Except Shubman Gill and a couple of others, nobody is in a jumper. They seem in fine spirits from where the birdie is seeing them. Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna laughing around a football they are kicking in the air and passing around.
A while ago, Rishabh Pant was taking catches and then having a chat with some of the others. The only one who seemed solitary or sombre was Gill, batting at the nets and then walking off to the dressing room. Jasprit Bumrah was seen having a relaxed exchange with Gautam Gambhir near the pitch.
Incidentally, the dressing room being one floor below the media centre, the lift in this building occasionally opens out right in front of the dressing room – even if you’ve asked for the second floor. This morning, myself and a couple of others landed on that forbidden floor – for journalists at least – by quirk of the lift and through the door got a peak in there before we made our way up again.
Now we are seeing Siraj fool around with Pant, Arshdeep, Akash Deep and a few others – they are mock-bullying him and the bonding seems all in place. Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja have an understanding it seems from the way they walk shoulder to shoulder in calm conversation. That’s Gambhir again with the captain who has descended from the dressing room in his captain’s jacket for the toss.
All the best Team India.
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