19 November,2018 05:45 PM IST | Brisbane | Gaurav Joshi
Shikhar Dhawan
There are various ways to overcome jetlag. Some avoid coffee, others like to arrive at their destination during daylight hours while others even go to the extent of breaking their sleep patterns to consume large meals.
The current members of the Indian team, however, had one simple method - a gym session. After arriving here on Saturday morning, the majority of players found themselves in the hotel gym to remain active and shrug off any bouts of jetlag. If that didn't work, then the hard, fast and bouncy pitches at the Gabba practice nets would have tested their jaded bodies and reflexes yesterday.
Four years ago, it was on these spiteful practice pitches that Shikhar Dhawan was hit on his forearm on the fourth morning of the second Test match and had to temporarily retire hurt. On Sunday, Dhawan was the first to face throw-down specialist Raghu in the nets.
The first ball whizzed past his chest, the second thudded into his thigh pad and the third wrapped him on the knuckles. A few minutes later, it was KL Rahul's turn to face chin music. There were mistimed hooks and pulls. Slowly, one by one, each player was getting accustomed to the bounce and pace.
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This is Australia. No longer can batsmen lunge well forward and comfortably negotiate deliveries on a good length. Over the next couple of months, the Indian top-order batsmen are unlikely to receive many balls that will land on their half of the pitch. As one member of the squad said, "It's about training the mind."
Adjusting is the buzzword in the Indian camp. The team are desperate to start the tour on a right note and a grueling four-hour practice session is evidence of the team's commitment and dedication. This team mean business and want to leave no stone unturned. Twenty-four hours after arriving Down Under, it is fair to say they have hit the ground running.
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