Conditioning camp for Team India likely from Feb 8-12

[saneindian]

Camp may start on February 8 Coach Gary Kirsten’s request for a short ‘conditioning’ camp in the lead-up to the February 19-April 2 World Cup has been accepted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It will be held at the National Cricket Academy, in Bangalore, possibly from February 8-12. Bangalore has been chosen not only because of the excellent Academy, located within the Chinnaswamy, but India’s first warm-up match, against champions Australia, is going to be held there on February 13. The second and last one will be in Chennai, versus New Zealand, on February 16, the day before the squad leaves for Dhaka on a chartered flight. Our opener, against Bangladesh, is on February 19. “Indications are that there won’t be too much physical activity at the camp, except the routine stuff. Kirsten, it seems, wants the focus to be on mental conditioning and strategising,†a well-placed source told The Telegraph on Tuesday. Workshops may also be held. That’s something on Kirsten’s mind. Kirsten is on leave (he stayed back in South Africa) and is expected in India, for his final weeks with Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the rest, around February 6. Meanwhile, the well-placed source said that the BCCI had given “no thought†as yet on who could be Kirsten’s successor. With India now scheduled to be in the West Indies in June, for two Tests and five ODIs, the new coach has to be in place much earlier than initially thought of. The tour of England is going to begin in the second week of July. http://telegraphindia.com/1110126/jsp/sports/story_13494811.jsp -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A conditioning camp after a long time. 5 days of conditioning and strategising before the practice matches start should be helpful.

[Ultimate_Game]

I hope Kirsten doesn't pull a Buchanan and has a boot camp for the team resulting in injuries to players. Already Sehwag and Zaheer have been out injured in most of the ICC tourneys over the last 3 years or so. I say let the players rest at home and charge their batteries. They had a gruelling tour of SA and the wrld cup will last nearly 2 months - no point peaking too early. The business end of the tourney is in the final 2 weeks with QF, SF and a Final. Doesn't really matter what you do before that and we should simply peak in time for the knock-out games.

[Chandan]

I hope Kirsten doesn't pull a Buchanan and has a boot camp for the team resulting in injuries to players. Already Sehwag and Zaheer have been out injured in most of the ICC tourneys over the last 3 years or so. I say let the players rest at home and charge their batteries. They had a gruelling tour of SA and the wrld cup will last nearly 2 months - no point peaking too early. The business end of the tourney is in the final 2 weeks with QF, SF and a Final. Doesn't really matter what you do before that and we should simply peak in time for the knock-out games.

Didn't you read the article? There is not going to be much physical activitu apart from the routine stuff. Mental conditioning and a week of of team bonding along with a bit of strategising will be good. I just hope they find a way for Nehra to get back his rhythm.

[Ultimate_Game]

Didn't you read the article? There is not going to be much physical activitu apart from the routine stuff. Mental conditioning and a week of of team bonding along with a bit of strategising will be good. I just hope they find a way for Nehra to get back his rhythm.

Don't you remember how Yuvraj injured his knee in 2008 and has been going downhill since... he was playing a warm-up football game and injured his knee :eyedance: I hope the players are let off to do whatever they want to and come back for the warm-ups. 2 warm-up games are enough for any "conditioning"

[Ramzz]

Don't you remember how Yuvraj injured his knee in 2008 and has been going downhill since... he was playing a warm-up football game and injured his knee :eyedance: I hope the players are let off to do whatever they want to and come back for the warm-ups. 2 warm-up games are enough for any "conditioning"

And what if someone gets injured during the warm ups...then you will say warm ups were not required...could have just sat at home and recharged. I agree that using soccer as a warm up should be avoided, maybe just a few laps around the field? less chance of injury. It is Yuvraj's own fault that he has let this injury run along for so long. He fears for his place in the side and hence did not opt for surgery in 2008.

[Sooda]

Meanwhile, the well-placed source said that the BCCI had given “no thought” as yet on who could be Kirsten’s successor. With India now scheduled to be in the West Indies in June, for two Tests and five ODIs, the new coach has to be in place much earlier than initially thought of. :nervous:

[Akshat]

Slim Sehwag ready to throw weight at World Cup So how is Virender Sehwag preparing himself for India’s World Cup campaign? By trimming down on his size and losing weight. Present in Mumbai to collect the ‘Best Batsman’ award at an awards ceremony, Sehwag was showered with compliments for his new trim look. The opener said, “That was my aim before the World Cup, and it looks like I have achieved it.†Although Sehwag wasn’t ever bracketed in the Yuvraj Singh or Rohit Sharma category of balooning waistlines, Sehwag believes that fitness will play a large role if India are to successfully encash their favourties tag. Weight or no weight, the country’s chances will fall squarely on his recovering shoulders, if Test batsman VVS Laxman is to be believed. “Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir have been very important players for India and will have a huge role to play in the World Cup after coming back from the injury. India have the best chance to win the World Cup. I think the team can capture the glory of 1983. They have the potential and talent to lift the trophy,†Laxman said on Friday. While everyone hopes that Laxman’s words come true, none want it more than a man who will be playing in his sixth World Cup — Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar, without referring directly to the tournament said: “Yes, I want to achieve something. Everyone knows thatâ€. He has often said in the past that being part of the winning Indian World Cup squad is his unfulfilled dream. A few more lost kilos from his opening partner, and India could be well on their way. Link : http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Slim-Sehwag-ready-to-throw-weight-at-World-Cup/743397 So it seems that Sehwag has gained his fitness. Hope Gauti has become fully fit too. But in my opinion, fitness of bowlers will be the most important thing during world cup and I don't think Zaheer khan will last the entire tournament with his fragile body. Will this short camp look into that aspect?

[Feed]

Indian team's training programme More... Indian team's training programme Bangalore: The Indian team will train at Bangalore and Chennai in the lead-up to the ICC World Cup commencing on February 19. Dhoni's men will reach Bangalore on February 9, attend a media session on February 10 and then have net sessions for the next two days before the warm-up game against Australia on February 13. The squad will leave for Chennai on February 14 and practice there for the warm-up game against New Zealand on February 16. India will then head to Dhaka for the tournament's inaugural match against Bangladesh on February 19. Bangalore will also serve as an initial base for Australia and South Africa and the two teams are scheduled to arrive on February 10 and 13 respectively. The Chinnaswamy Stadium here, meanwhile, is a beehive of activity as a fresh coat of paint in pastel and brown shades are dabbed on the walls. The floodlights too are being refurbished with the latest state-of-the-art bulbs that promise increased illumination.

[Chandan]

Is Gambhir fully ready? Has he recovered completely?

LINK Gambhir’s key task area would be much more than merely bludgeoning attacks on shirtfronts, the left-hander would be expected to bat through the entire quota. Recovering from injury, Gambhir sounded confident of being fully fit for the opening tie against Bangladesh. “I had a soft tissue injury in South Africa after the Tests and was sent back as a precautionary measure. The recovery has been good and I should be back in the nets in a few days. I am hopeful of regaining full fitness before February 19,” said Gambhir. For IPL’s richest player, playing in the World Cup has been a long cherished dream. Missing the 2007 edition was the lowest point of Gambhir’s career. It’s an irony that India’s poor show in the World Cup opened the doors for Gambhir to seal a permanent slot. “It will be my first World Cup and I can’t wait to get out there and perform. It is the dream of every cricketer to represent the country in this event. I am confident of contributing to the team’s success,” said Gambhir.

So he hasn't recovered fully till now. He hasn't even started the net practice! Wonder How we'll be jelling together as a team before 13th!

[Feed]

‘The team is ready for the World Cup, focusing on fitness and fielding’ : Dhoni More... ‘The team is ready for the World Cup, focusing on fitness and fielding’ PTI Sachin Tendulkar’s mere presence in the dressing room is enough to lift the morale of the players, feels India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Dhoni also urged the other players in the team to perform and take the pressure off the champion batsman. “When Sachin is with the team, the morale of the players is very high. But it is not right to put pressure on him. All the players should perform and take the pressure off him,†said Dhoni. The India skipper reiterated that the team would like to win the forthcoming World Cup for Tendulkar, who will, in all probability, be playing for the last time in cricket’s biggest event. “Team India wants to give (this) World Cup to Sachin as a gift,†he said during the inauguration of the T20 Jharkhand Premier League (JPL) here today. In a lighter vein, Dhoni said that he wants the 37-year-old Tendulkar to play in a few more World Cups. “God willing, Sachin can play in another three or four World Cups. If it happens the whole team will be happy,†he said. Asked about the team’s preparations for the mega event, he said, “the team is ready for the World Cup, focusing on fitness and fielding.†Dhoni also recollected the historic moment when Tendulkar notched up his 50th Test century. “It was a treat to watch him standing from the other end,†he said. On Eden Gardens missing out on the India-England tie, he said he would miss the crowd and the atmosphere there.

[Sir john]

:good: things

[pensionplan]

Is Gambhir fully ready? Has he recovered completely? So he hasn't recovered fully till now. He hasn't even started the net practice! Wonder How we'll be jelling together as a team before 13th!

So we already have an excuse if the worst happens and get knocked out of the WC. And by the way what is the status on Pee K. Will he be declaring himself fit and grace us with his 120k trundlers on the sub-continent tracks.

[Chandan]

Link Indian team begins preparations Special Correspondent The Indian team started its preparations for the ICC World Cup with a light training session at the KSCA (B) Ground here on Wednesday evening. Clad in red sportswear, the entire squad trooped into the venue after a team-meeting at the hotel. The camp's initial session was all about limbering up with football as the players scrambled around for ball possession and goals. After testing their soccer skills, it was time to fine-tune their core talent as Virender Sehwag was first up against coach Gary Kirsten's throw-downs. Sehwag, who has recovered from a shoulder injury, drove on the up while Virat Kohli buckled down for some practice on the adjacent cement-wicket. Sehwag's opening partner Gautam Gambhir, who is coming back after a hand injury laid him low, had a brief stint with the bat and then Yuvraj Singh had a hit and in the far-corner, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, skipper M.S. Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan knocked around for a while. Sachin Tendulkar stood aside and kept a watch on the proceedings and Harbhajan indulged in some stretches. The rest of the bowling unit — Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel, S. Sreesanth, R. Ashwin and Piyush Chawla — bowled against two stumps with bowling coach Eric Simmons monitoring the angles. The players wound up their session early and as they walked away, a few tiny tots were thrilled with the autographs they gained from the latest big-hitter in the Indian stables — Yusuf. Fielding drills After the players went to the National Cricket Academy, Kirsten had a lengthy chat on fielding drills with the academy's fielding coach R. Sridhar, who is expected to assist the team in this preparatory camp. The team will have a morning session on Thursday and the training stints will get more intense over the next few days while Dhoni's men get ready for the warm-up game against Australia at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday. ------------------------ With one player from the original squad already ruled out, I just hope that the rest of the members are fully fit and fresh and get together to shake off the rust!

[Sachinism]

Why are we getting contradicting news This is what cricketnext is reporting

Gary Kirsten paid special attention to the Delhi duo of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir who have recently recuperated from shoulder and elbow injuries respectively, during the first day of India's short pre-World Cup camp that got underway at the National Cricket Academy here today.

While The Hindu suggests they had a brief stint in the nets

[Chandan]

Why are we getting contradicting news This is what cricketnext is reporting While The Hindu suggests they had a brief stint in the nets

Kirsten might have payed special attention to the Delhi duo in the nets.

[Sachinism]

On his last assignment with the Indian team, coach Gary Kirsten focussed on all-rounder Yusuf Pathan and pacer Ashish Nehra on the second day of the four-day preparatory camp for the World Cup at the National Cricket Academy on Thursday. Kirsten was one of the first members of the team to take the field and left the ground last along with colleagues Eric Simmons (bowling consultant) and Paddy Upton (mental conditioning coach). The Indian coach supervised the net sessions of not only the batsmen but even attended to left-arm pacer Ashish Nehra and threw a few balls at him at the *** end of the three-hour long practice session. Realising Pathan's weakness against short-pitched stuff, Kirsten threw some bouncy balls at him and was also seen giving tips to him on how to counter the fast bowlers. After Wednesday's optional practice session, it was more serious business on Thursday. Soon after arriving at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, the entire Indian team went through fielding drills for nearly 45 minutes before shifting base to the NCA nets. The trio of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, who returned to the squad after a short injury lay-off, were the first to hit the nets and batted for about 40 minutes during which middled the ball from the word go. Young Virat Kohli also spent a considerable amount of time at the nets and looked at ease but Yuvraj looked little out of sort with his timing. After completing his session at the net, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni joined Harbhajan Singh at the other end of the NCA ground and the duo smacked Karnataka Cricket Academy bowlers to all parts of the park. :haha: All the bowlers, meanwhile, rolled their arms in turns with Munaf Patel extracting considerable amount of pace and bounce from the pitch. :woot: After the camp, India will be put to their first test when they play Australia in their first warm-up match on Sunday and then round off their preparation with a practice game against New Zealand in Chennai on February 16.

[Chandan]

And Hindu reports here: Team India trains hard Bangalore: Intensity and focus was on view as the Indian team trained hard at the Chinnaswamy Stadium premises here on Thursday. The cricketers started with a bout of fielding drills at the main stadium, focusing on catches besides attempting to rifle down stumps. Later the team shifted to the KSCA (B) Ground and Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir took first strike in the three nets segregated into pace, spin and throw-downs. The trio's exertions were repeated by Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli and skipper M.S. Dhoni before Yusuf Pathan and Suresh Raina stepped in for their stints at the crease. Raina had a lengthy chat with coach Gary Kirsten, who tested the southpaw's front-foot movement and egged him to drive. The bowling unit too had a lengthy session and Zaheer Khan was in good rhythm. The training camp's second day concluded an hour past noon with Dhoni being a blurring mass of whirring legs and arms as he loosened up with the helicopter shot and pummelled meaty blows. Motivational speaker Mike Horn was also present during the practice session. ----------- Good to see that Raina and Yuvraj were getting special attention too. These three middle order batsmen--Yuvraj, Raina and Dhoni's lack of form is a real worry for India, as is Nehra's form and of course Zaheer's fitness.

[Feed]

More... India, Australia undergo a long practice session Special Correspondent Bangalore: A warm Saturday at the KSCA (B) ground revealed the common passion for excellence that binds two rivals together. In the morning, Sachin Tendulkar remained the eager beaver at the Indian team nets, indulging in his patented long stint while coach Gary Kirsten pelted his throw-downs. Later in the afternoon, Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who has just recovered from a finger injury, had an extensive batting stint and seemed comfortable while he squared up against the likes of Mitchell Johnson, Doug Bollinger, Shaun Tait and Brett Lee. Both India and Australia had a long session respectively on either side of the lunch break. Interestingly, Tendulkar and Virat Kohli turned their arm over during the Indian nets. Zaheer absent Zaheer Khan was absent at the Indian team's training stint in which Harbhajan Singh and S. Sreesanth preferred to work on their batting. The Australian batsmen meanwhile briefly sharpened their footwork on the cement wicket with the chip-and-charge routine employed against gentle looseners besides facing their full quota of bowlers. Ponting, White, Callum Ferguson, Clarke and Shane Watson were among the first set of batsmen who flexed their willows. Ponting's stint spilled over into the second batch's schedule and he will now test his match-fitness in the warm-up game against India here on Sunday.