IND vs NZ Test Series: India’s Test squad to attend camp in Mumbai – In his first stint as the full-time head coach, Rahul Dravid has asked the Test squad to attend a week-long camp in Mumbai starting today. The two-match test series against the World Test Champions New Zealand will be played after 3 game T20 series vs the Kiwis. The likes of Ishant Sharma, Prasidh Krishna, Mayank Agarwal and Cheteshwar Pujara have already reached Mumbai to attend the camp: Follow India vs New Zealand Live Updates on InsideSport.in.
“Yes, Rahul felt there was a need to have a camp as they haven’t played any red-ball cricket since the England series. It will help them get into a rhythm before the series. The players will then travel to Kanpur for the 1st Test. Rahul and others will join them there,” a BCCI official told InsideSport.
Jadeja asks for Leave: Rahul Dravid will be with the T20 squad in Jaipur and from there, they will move to Ranchi and then Kolkata for the series. The players who are also part of the Test series will then go to Kanpur for the Test series. They will be joined by the players from the camp. Ravindra Jadeja like Virat Kohli has been granted an extended break but the spinner will join the camp in Mumbai before its conclusion.
“Jadeja will join the camp in three-four days. It is understandable. He has been in bio-bubbles for long as well. So, he requested for an extended break,” the official added.
IND vs NZ Test Series: Team India set for week-long camp in Mumbai ahead of New Zealand Test series, Jadeja to join later
IND vs NZ Test: Why is Rahul Dravid arranging a camp in Mumbai?
- With no red-ball cricket for over two months for many players, Rahul Dravid felt it was necessary for them to have a camp.
- Since, new faces like Shreyas Iyer, Prasidh Krishna will join the Test side, he felt they need some red-ball cricket to get accustomed to the conditions.
- As Mumbai will host the 2nd Test, it will be a perfect opportunity to get acclimatised to the conditions.
- Ravinder Jadeja will join the camp three-four days later as he was granted an extended break by the BCCI.
- There will be no bio-bubble in Mumbai. The campers will move to Kanpur and will have to spend three days in quarantine before entering bio-bubble for the Test series.
IND vs NZ Test Series: Team India set for week-long camp in Mumbai ahead of New Zealand Test series, Jadeja to join later
As per an Indian Express report, the BCCI and Rahul Dravid wanted to have the camp at NCA in Bengaluru as the players were to be trained by NCA coaches. But they decided against it at the last moment as they are to play a Test in Mumbai, they felt it was the best course.
However, the players will not be in any bio-secure bubble for the camp in Mumbai. Instead, they will arrive with negative Covid-19 test reports. But they have been advised not to venture out unnecessarily and go to public places. Once they leave for Kanpur, they will enter a bio-secure bubble for the Test series.
IND vs NZ Test Series: Team India set for week-long camp in Mumbai ahead of New Zealand Test series, Jadeja to join later
“The players have already been in long bubble. So, it was unnecessary to arrange another bubble for a camp. They will join the camp with negative Covid test reports. When they join the bio-bubble for Test series, they will be in a three-day quarantine in Kanpur,” a BCCI official told InsideSport.