Boria Majumdar in Dubai
No, the Indians did not need water to drink. Nor was there any dearth of water for the travelling media. All of that was well taken care of. Rather, that water bottle became the bull’s-eye as the Indian team started to warm up at the ICC Academy. Placed 25 metres away, players were asked to hit it as part of their throwing drills. And each time someone did it, there were loud cheers.
With the heat starting to go down as the sun lost a bit of steam, such fun drills lit up India’s practice. Captain Suryakumar Yadav was seen taking the lead and eventually it was Shivam Dube who hit the bull’s-eye to ruptures from one group of adults who had turned children briefly.
Against the backdrop of what is a high pressure game, perhaps the players need this. They aren’t immune to the pressure. They know what’s at stake. They also know that this isn’t just a game of cricket. And yet, they need to insulate themselves and stay sane. The water bottle drill was part of that effort.
I for one enjoyed seeing the body language of the Indians. They seemed relaxed and yet very focused. They are the better team and they will know they have to bring out their A game come Sunday. The practice session was evidence that each player is ready. And yes, the team is focusing on cricket and cricket only. As Sitanshu Kotak, the batting coach, said: “Once the government and the BCCI decided, our job was to follow it and come here and play cricket. That’s what we are doing and that’s the only focus.”
While hitting the water bottle, the subconscious mind is already focused on Sunday. That’s the game to win and Team India know that.
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