Probables take bad weather in their stride

The conditioning camp for the Indian team, practicing to get into shape for the ICC knock out tournament at Nairobi, seems to have run into a bit of rough weather - literally. It rained pretty heavily on Friday evening, shortly after the squad started its session at the MRF Pace Foundation. The sharp shower rendered the ground unfit for use and when they arrived at the venue on Saturday morning, they had to make do with some physical conditioning and weight training in the gym. Fortunately as the rain was not that heavy on the outskirts of the city, the team managed to have a practice session at the IIT- Chemplast ground in the afternoon.

Of course the team management - coach Anshuman Gaekwad and physio Andrew Leipus - have tried their best to take these hurdles in their stride. On Friday for example, after the practice session was cut short by the rain, Leipus arranged for a water polo game in the swimming pool inside the MRF Pace Foundation premises. The 20 probables were split into two teams and played with a makeshift ball for about an hour.

But while the mood remains upbeat among the probables, the weather remains a problem. More rain is forecast for the next couple of days. It does rain in Chennai in September and one has to doubt the wisdom of the Board of Control for Cricket in India to have the camp in this city. Perhaps Bangalore and the National Cricket Academy - with its indoor nets facilities - would have been a better choice. But then it is learnt that Chennai was chosen as the camp since the weather conditions in this city and Nairobi are said to be similar.

Meanwhile the announcement of the Indian team for the Nairobi tournament has been delayed by a day and will now be made on September 21. This has been necessitated because captain Sourav Ganguly, vice captain Rahul Dravid and senior player Anil Kumble are now expected to arrive in Chennai only on September 20 after completing their county engagements in England. They were earlier scheduled to arrive in Chennai on September 18.