Ind vs Eng: Visitors begin training in Durham for warm-up match against County Select XI
Jul 16, 2021
Chester-le-Street [UK], July 16 : Virat Kohli-led Indian team on Friday trained ahead of their three-day warm-up match against County Championship XI to prepare for the upcoming Test series against England in August.
Team India arrived in Durham for the practice match which will be played behind closed doors.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday shared a picture from the team's warm-up session.
Warwickshire captain Will Rhodes will lead a 14-man squad which also includes recent Test debutant James Bracey and Nottinghamshire opener Haseeb Hameed, who made his Test debut against India in 2016.
"The squad was selected after consulting with the first-class counties on player availability and to provide some of the high-potential talent from across the county game with the opportunity to test themselves against the ICC World Test Championship finalists," said ECB in an official statement.
The county players will bridge into a team environment and undergo the COVID-19 test before being cleared to play in the match.
Team India will use Emirates Riverside as a home venue for their preparations this summer. The three-day game against a County Select is on July 20.
Speaking to the media at a virtual press conference at the end of the World Test Championship final against New Zealand, Kohli had said his side wanted first-class games ahead of the series against England, but they have not been given that.
"Well, that doesn't depend on us. We obviously wanted first-class games, which I believe have not been given to us. I don't know what the reasons for that are. But yeah, other than that I think our preparation time will be ample for us to be ready for the first Test," said Kohli.
Also, India opener Shubman Gill has been ruled out for eight weeks after he suffered a shin injury post the final encounter at Ageas Bowl in Southampton.
