Cramped legs and stiff backs are an athlete’s biggest pre-competition enemy, but the Indian cricket team has gone the extra (air) mile to ensure its pace bowlers stay comfortable.
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At a T20 World Cup that has demanded breakneck air travel crisscrossing Australia, head coach Rahul Dravid and batting superstars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have given up their designated business-class seats for the quicks — Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Hardik Pandya — so that they get adequate legroom. This has helped them to rest and recover between games.
“Before the tournament, we decided that since the pace bowlers clock the maximum mileage on field day in, day out, they need to stretch their legs,” a support staff member of the Indian team told The Indian Express on its arrival in Adelaide for the semi-final against England on Thursday. The team finished its league engagements Sunday with a win over Zimbabwe. It ended with 8 points from 5 games, topping Group 2.
As per International Cricket Council (ICC) norms, every team gets four business-class seats. Most teams give these flying privileges to their coach, captain, vice-captain and manager. But once the Indian thinktank became aware that they needed to travel every third or fourth day, it was decided that the hard-working pacers would get the best seats during the trip.
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By the time India finishes their campaign, the team would have travelled around 34,000 km on this World T20 journey. They would also have experienced three time zones and played at venues that have been varyingly warm, windy or cold. In these constantly changing conditions, pacers run the risk of getting injured.
The Indian team’s bowling coach Paras Mhambrey has spoken earlier about how they left no stone unturned to ensure the players were match-ready.
“We’ve pretty much thought out everything in terms of the planning, how we want to go about it, and from here on, every session that we have left is an optional one, so in terms of the maintenance, in terms of the physiotherapy, taking care of them, it’s important to have them in the best shape going into every game, and yeah, we’re taking care of that, as well,” Mhambrey had said.
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Such has been the hectic schedule that the team couldn’t even celebrate the thrilling win over Pakistan in its World Cup opener since there was a flight to catch the next morning. At another time, Ravichandran Ashwin was asked about their plan for the day after the game, and he quipped: “What plan sir, we are traveling!”
And it has been a common sight through the Super 12s for the media manager to keep pointing at the wrist watch, signalling to players at press conferences to wrap up since schedules are tight and the team needs to reach the hotel early.
After every game, players are expected to pack and leave their luggage out of their rooms so that it can be taken to the airport early. Many players have been deprived of sleep.
The physios and trainers have been monitoring pacers and spinners closely to ensure the toll of travel doesn’t hit them and they get adequate sleep and recovery. Players have been given the freedom to not turn up for practice if they feel they need rest.
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As one Indian player jokes, a few players will have lost more hair by the time this T20 World Cup is done, though it is the fast bowlers’ loping legs that have been deemed most precious when it comes to air travel.
