India vs Windies: Visitors find only one pacer at nets to practice on eve of Hyderabad Test

First, they lost two key bowlers in the run-up to the first Test in Rajkot. Then they lost the game by a whopping innings and 272 runs. And the Windies were in for more disappointment as they found that they had just one pacer to bowl to them in the nets at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on the eve of the second Test on Thursday.

The visitors, who need to win the second Test to avoid their seventh successive series loss to India in the longest format, hence were deprived of some valuable practice. The hosts, on the other hand, had a battery of seamers at their disposal when they arrived for practice in the morning.

The Caribbeans were clearly not amused. “It is in the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) to provide sufficient net bowlers. So, Sunil Ambris, who never bowls, had to bowl. Our security liaison officer had to borrow someone’s whites and bowled in the nets. So, our top batsmen did not get an ideal net session,” a Windies team spokesperson was quoted by saying by Mid-Day on Thursday.

Net bowlers didn’t get lunch on time, said reports

The net bowlers eventually arrived but by then, the Windies were nearing the end of their practice. It was learned that the bowlers skipped practice with the visitors since they were not provided lunch on time by the Hyderabad cricket authorities.

Windies’ captain Jason Holder, who missed the first Test because of an injury, was back to lead the side and he won the toss and elected to bat. The Caribbeans had a far improved show with the bat after their openers put up 32 for the first wicket. The visitors were 86 for 3 at lunch.

For India, Shardul Thakur made his Test debut. He opened the bowling with Umesh Yadav but could bowl only 1.4 overs and limped off the ground after sustaining an injury.

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