Indian off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin skipped Indian team`s optional practice session on Tuesday at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha where the fourth and final match of the series gets under way from December 13.
|Last Updated: Dec 11, 2012, 06:17 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Nagpur: Indian off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin skipped Indian team`s optional practice session on Tuesday at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha where the fourth and final match of the series gets under way from December 13.
"It was an optional net session," informed Indian team`s manger Sathish when contacted for the reason for the offie`s absence from Tuesday`s training.
Barring Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Piyush Chawla and new inclusion Parwinder Awana ? who were on Ranji Trophy duty for their respective states, the others were present during the two and a half hour training session of the team.
"Ashwin is resting at the team hotel. Rahane will join the team later today along with Jadeja while Awana will be reaching here tomorrow. Chawla is already here playing the Ranji game for Uttar Pradesh (against Vidarbha at the old VCA stadium)," a VCA official informed.
Meanwhile, the wicket looked dry and baked under the sun in surprisingly warm conditions and the ground staff seemed to have stopped watering it.
The curator has been told not to talk to the media and was unavailable for comments and it`s not certain whether the pitch will last for five days.
A huge controversy has erupted over the demand of India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni for square turners from day one after India won the first game at Ahmedabad.
England had a training session at the venue this morning and Stuart Broad, who had picked up a heel injury earlier on the tour, limped off. In any case, he was unlikely to be considered in the playing XI after being dropped for the Kolkata failing to get any wicket in the earlier two Test matches.
England off-spinner Graeme Swann, who has taken 17 wickets in the three Test matches so far at just over 24 per wicket, said he can`t comment about the pitch as he didn`t have a proper look at the wicket.
"I don`t know. I haven`t seen the pitch yet. We went straight out to the nets," he told reporters after the training session.
Swann was not too concerned about the wicket.
"It doesn`t matter what you believe because we will know whatever happens on Thursday morning. I am sure the management and coach will look at it and they will assess it. We play on it whatever comes on Thursday," he said.
"It is normally a good pitch here and I am expecting it to be that. Whatever the pitch is, we have to try and win the game," he added.
Swann said the aim would be to win the opening session of the Test, which was what led to their team victory at Mumbai and Kolkata.
"So come Thursday morning, it will be about winning the first session, something which we have managed to do in the last two Test matches and it is why we have gone on to win the match," he remarked.
This is the fourth Test to be played at this Stadium that hosted the first match in 2008 against Australia, the last tie played by former India skipper Sourav Ganguly.
India have a 2-1 win-loss record at this ground, having beaten Australia by 172 runs in November, 2008, lost to South Africa by an innings and 6 runs in February, 2010 and beaten New Zealand by an innings and 198 runs in November, 2010.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.