Team India works out hard at first net session

A game of rugby and some fielding and batting drills comprised the strenuous three-hour workout that the Indian cricket team went through ahead of the series against New Zealand that kicks off with a Twenty20 match on February 25. The visitors practiced at the picturesque Bert Sutcliffe grounds.

Although Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men are the Twenty20 world champions, they will bear in mind that they had been humbled by 10 runs by the resilient Kiwis during the inaugural championship at Johannesburg last September.

Warming up with a game of touch rugby, Dhoni's men were put through the fielding drill by coach Gary Kirsten before they moved to the adjacent ground for a hit at the net.

Kirsten spent some time with Rohit Sharma, urging the youngster, to get his front foot in the right place while driving the ball. Time and again, Kirsten walked up to the middle to guide the Mumbaikar with his bio-mechanics before Rohit got his act right in the second session for a knock against Ishant Sharma and Irfan Pathan.

Sachin Tendulkar took to the nets soon after, often walking up to Kirsten and asking him to pitch the ball in a particular position so that he could lean into his shots.

Pace spearhead Zaheer Khan chose to go for a run alongside bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad, much after his teammates had wound up the nets.

Team India arrived yesterday after a strenuous journey, prolonged by transit layovers at Hong Kong and Auckland.

India, which plays two Twenty20 matches, a five-ODI series followed by three Tests during the tour, has not won a Test series in New Zealand for the past 41 years.