Picture Credit: BCCI
Cricket is a hectic game and with the inclusion of 'bio-bubble,' it has become more crucial for players to maintain their mental stability. Indian cricket team often find unique ways to relax from their frequent schedules. After spending three days of quarantine in Mumbai and a day in South Africa, Team India took some time off and warmed up with a footvolley match during their training session in Johannesburg. Notably, teams were divided into two- Ashwin vs Dravid XI.
The video of the game was shared by BCCI on Twitter, wherein players like Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Ashwin, Cheteshwar Pujara, Priyank Panchal, Rahul Dravid and others participated in the game. Explaining the significance of such warm-up games, Soham Desai, strength and conditioning coach of the Indian cricket team said that the game helps the players to stay positive while away from family on long tours.
"We have had 3 days of hard quarantine in Mumbai, followed by 10 hours of a long flight and a hard quarantine yesterday here. So starting our hard session straightaway would have been a high-risk thing for the guys. We just went for a run, we got together, stretched out, sweated out and this game is going to bridge the inactivity and the skills from tomorrow. We can do just so much to adjust to the elevation here which is 1400 meters and we are coming to sea level. The guys will take 2-3 days to adapt,” Soham Desai said.
Watch the video:
However, the match ended in whose favour was not clear but the team bonded well for sure. The Indian team landed in South Africa on Thursday and spent a mandatory one-day hotel quarantine. BCCI's Twitter handle is continuously sharing pictures and videos of the team enjoying their time during a month-long tour.
The team is set to play three Tests matches starting from December 26, and as many as ODIs. Kohli will be leading the team in Tests, whereas Rohit Sharma is expected to join the team later for ODIs, after being ruled out of the Test series due to injury concerns.