Superstition or faith, India do it for a win

Just how does a team pick itself up after an emotional roller coaster like the Mohali Test match? For the Indian team, they have only three days to sort things out. The first day, Wednesday, was spent mostly in travel and rest, with a majority of the team making an appearance at the ICC awards in the evening. Anand Vasu reports

Just how does a team pick itself up after an emotional roller coaster like the Mohali Test match? For the Indian team, they have only three days to sort things out. The first day, Wednesday, was spent mostly in travel and rest, with a majority of the team making an appearance at the ICC awards in the evening.

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On Thursday, though, it was back to business, as the team put in a near three-hour practice session at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, soon after a drizzle moistened the outfield. The team began with their typical game of touch football, clearly unhampered by the drizzle. A long net session followed, but some of the heroes of Mohali were missing. VVS Laxman, who is recovering well from back spasms and is expected to be fit in time for the second Test, was not at the nets, and neither was Pragyan Ojha, who was Laxman’s companion when the target was achieved.

If all seemed normal, on the day, though, it was only because the Mohali Test finished at 1.37, leaving the different characters involved to process their win in their own way. Laxman, of course, was mostly recovering, trying to keep stiffness at bay, working with team doctor Nitin Patel.

But others did different things. Suresh Raina, who was on the field running for Laxman for almost three hours on the final day, and was in enough tight spots to work up a serious sweat, decided that the first thing he wanted to do was to take a long, bath.

For Amit Mishra, who was not in the playing eleven, but sat through a very stressful and nervous passage of play, the singer Kailash Kher came to the rescue. Kher’s soothing music, which was playing at the time of the win, continued on after.

The dressing-room itself, was full of the usual superstitions, with players being asked not to change seats for fear of a wicket falling, and Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan and Virender Sehwag forced to extend a conversation that had long lost steam because no-one wanted them to suddenly change the subject. Understandably, none of the players were willing to say what exactly they were talking about.

Most of the other players milled about the dressing-room soon after the win.
But the most interesting reactions came from Rahul Dravid and Paddy Upton, the team’s mental and physical conditioning coach.

Dravid, who appeared in superb touch in the first innings, when he made 77, was keen to just keep the form going, and headed into the nets for a knock even before the presentation ceremony began. Upton, the adrenaline pumping several hours after the game, went for an unusually long run, covering 15 kilometres before deciding to call it quits.

Different strokes for different folks, but when it’s working like it is, no-one will complain.

Bollinger unlikely for Bangalore Test

Left-arm paceman Doug Bollinger, who sustained an abdominal injury midway through the final day of the first Test, is in serious doubt for the second Test. While scan results are expected to reveal a clearer picture on Friday, the chances of Bollinger playing were slim.

James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc were possible replacements, as they could bat a bit, as was the tall Peter George, who played in the warm-up match.