NEW DELHI: Ahead of their second group match of the tournament against Namibia in Delhi on Thursday, February 12, the Indian team has opted to skip their optional training session on Monday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.While the reason to skip the practice has not been made official, there’s a chance that the move may be linked to the availability of the ground, with Namibia and the Netherlands set to use the venue for practice ahead of their match on February 10. Namibia are scheduled to train in the morning session, while the Netherlands will practice in the evening.
In an official statement later in the evening, the BCCI said it was a “day off” for the Indian cricket team and that they would not train at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.“Day off. No practice or press conference,” the BCCI said in a release.Team India will practice from 6 pm to 9 pm on Tuesday at the same venue.Meanwhile, India were put under pressure by the USA on Saturday in their first match of the tournament in Mumbai on Saturday, before captain Suryakumar Yadav rescued the team, and bowlers did the job brilliantly to eventually register a 29-run win.The Indian captain garnered all his experience of playing at his home ground, reaped rich dividends for being patient but more importantly, disciplined, as plucky USA had India on the mat at 77 for 6 at one stage in the first half.But Suryakumar’s late onslaught which had 10 fours and four sixes after being dropped on 15, took India as far as 161/9 after being precariously placed at 128/7 after 18 overs.USA, in reply, finished at 132/8 in a meek response with the bat, especially in comparison to their first-innings show in which bowlers kept the high-flying Indians on a tight leash and held on to their catches.
