Cricket

Virat Kohli's return to the Indian Test team has been met with much anticipation, and his performance in the match simulation at the WACA has provided some insights into his current form. Kohli's first stint at the crease lasted only 15-20 minutes, during which he scored just 15 runs before being dismissed by Mukesh Kumar. However, he returned to the middle later in the session and looked more fluent, scoring 30 runs without losing his wicket.Kohli's initial struggles were attributed to the bounce and pace of the WACA pitch, which made it difficult for him to execute his trademark drives. He faced a variety of bowlers, including Mukesh Kumar, Prasidh Krishna, Navdeep Saini, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, but it was Mukesh who posed the biggest challenge. Mukesh's skiddy deliveries forced Kohli to play cautiously, and he was eventually dismissed while attempting to connect a delivery on the fifth stump.Despite his early dismissal, Kohli showed signs of improvement in his second stint at the crease. He displayed better judgment of line and length, and his hand-eye coordination was sharp. He also produced some brilliant cover drives, indicating that his timing is still intact.Kohli's performance in the match simulation is encouraging, but it remains to be seen how he will perform in the actual Test match. With Rohit Sharma likely to miss the Perth encounter, the onus will fall on Kohli to lead India's batting unit. He will need to be at his best if India is to have a chance of winning the series.

The Indian cricket team has decided to open its center-wicket training sessions to the public from Friday to Sunday, allowing fans to witness their preparations for the upcoming Test match against Australia at Perth Stadium. This decision contradicts an earlier report in the Australian media that claimed the team's practice sessions would be closed to the public.The Australian newspaper had reported that construction workers refurbishing the WACA ground had received an email from their CEO instructing them not to watch, photograph, or fly drones during India's net sessions. The email reportedly stated that the public was barred from observing India's training, and even workers in the area were prohibited from taking a peek.However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has denied sending any such official communication. A source within the BCCI stated that neither India nor India A had requested closed-door net sessions. The practice sessions are open to all, and the Indian and Australian media are welcome to cover them as long as they wish.The source also revealed that India A players have arrived in Perth and will participate in an intra-squad match. This match will not be an official three-day first-class fixture, but rather a match simulation where batters can bat multiple times. The management aims to provide quality center-wicket training for bowlers like Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep, who will bowl to Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant.This approach is similar to the one adopted by India during their tour of England during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they traveled with a large squad of around 23-24 players. The team management believes that this format allows for more focused and effective training.

The Indian cricket team is preparing for the upcoming Bangladesh series with a focus on match simulations. One of the key areas of focus is replicating the bowling style of Bangladesh pacer Nahid Rana, who has impressed with his bounce and pace.To achieve this, the team has called up Punjab's Gurnoor Brar, a tall pacer with a similar bowling action to Rana. Brar's height and skiddy pace will provide the Indian batters with a realistic simulation of Rana's bowling.In addition to Brar, the team has also drafted in Mumbai off-spinner Himanshu Singh, whose action is similar to Ravichandran Ashwin, and Tamil Nadu slow left-arm bowler S Ajit Ram. These bowlers will provide the batters with a variety of challenges to prepare them for the different conditions they may face in Bangladesh.The Indian team's new bowling coach, Morne Morkel, has been actively involved in the net sessions, providing guidance to the bowlers on how to bowl to star batters. The team is also focusing on specific net sessions to simulate the conditions they expect to encounter in Bangladesh.While India has potent new ball bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, the team is unlikely to play on rank turners. The Chepauk strip is expected to provide equal assistance to both pace bowlers and spinners. The bounce could be more even, making Rana a potential threat.The Bangladesh team is scheduled to arrive in Chennai on Sunday. Security arrangements have been tightened for the visitors following the recent civil unrest in the country. BCCI secretary Jay Shah has assured the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) of necessary security measures.