Not every day is about bouncers and batting drills. In Buckenham, where India is preparing for the five-match Test series against England, the start of a new World Test Championship cycle, today was a rare and welcome breather.
With their warm-up match scheduled to begin on June 13, the Indian team enjoyed a relaxed day. Players fanned out across the city for coffee, shopping, and casual strolls, soaking in the calm before the cricketing storm. Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and T Dilip were spotted out and about, while Arshdeep Singh, Sai Sudarshan, and Prasidh Krishna also made the most of the time off. Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan took their break with a walk, while Rishabh Pant engaged in a friendly but focused game of chess with Rahul Tewatia, a battle of brains before the real test begins.
KL Rahul, meanwhile, chose solitude, enjoying a quiet meal back at the team hotel. Mohammed Siraj was seen indulging in some retail therapy, living up to his reputation as one of the squad’s best-dressed.
A member of the Indian team even promised to share recommendations with us for the best coffee joints in London, a perk of having frequent flyers in the dressing room.
In the evening, the ‘A’ team joined the senior squad for an intra-squad game around 4 PM local time, sharpening the competitive edge. Dinesh Karthik was also present, catching up with Sai Sudharsan and sharing insights on batting.
Team India resumes full training tomorrow morning, with Morne Morkel scheduled to address the press after the session.
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