Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. (Source – Getty Images)
New Zealand snapped India’s record of 18 consecutive Test series wins at home when they defeated Rohit Sharma’s men in the second Test in Pune by 113 runs on Saturday, October 26. Tom Latham and Co. had started the three-match series with an eight-wicket win in Bengaluru.
The action will now shift to Mumbai, where the Wankhede Stadium is gearing up to host the two teams in the third Test, which gets underway on Friday, November 1. While the series is already sealed by the Kiwis, the upcoming Test match cannot be termed as a dead rubber as there are crucial World Test Championship (WTC) points at stake.
According to a report in The Indian Express, moments after the loss, India captain Rohit, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul drove to Mumbai to be with their family. The rest of the Indian players and the members of the support staff will reach the financial capital of India soon. The players also have been given a two-day break before they regroup for the Wankhede clash.
No ‘optional training’ for Rohit Sharma and Co.
The report further said that following the end of the two-day break in Mumbai, the players will have to attend the two practice sessions ahead of the series finale.
“The team management has asked the players to be present for two days of practice on October 30 and 31. It’s compulsory and no one can skip it,” a source informed the national daily.
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Usually, in the case of consecutive matches in a series, senior players and fast bowlers often decide to skip practice sessions or have light training drills to keep potential injury threats at bay. They manage the workload and provide themselves with adequate time to recover. However, after the series defeat, which has jolted India’s World Test Championship (WTC) final qualification hopes, the management has canceled that privilege, thus making training sessions mandatory.
Following the end of the third Test, India will leave for Australia for the highly-anticipated five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series on November 10.