Press Trust of India
Jamaica, July 28: The Indian cricket team hit the nets at Sabina Park here Wednesday morning, hours after landing, and followed a rigorous exercise to get used to the prevalent hot and humid conditions.
The entire team put in some effort, with different batting and bowling sessions following the regular drill. Wriddhiman Saha worked on his keeping skills in particular. Murali Vijay seemed happy about his sore thumb whilst flying out of Antigua but he continued to watch his workload with a light workout.
“Working out for long today (Wednesday) has helped us get used to the conditions here. It is pretty hot and humid, perhaps more than earlier. Now we don’t expect to face problems in the lead-up to the match and can get quickly acclimatised for it,” said leg-spinner Amit Mishra.
Mishra, who took only three wickets in the Test at Antigua, however, seemed satisfied with his performance there.
“All we can do is try and bowl well, and that is what I am trying to do. Getting wickets is not in your hands. Sometimes partnerships build up and you have to create pressure from either end,” Mishra stated.
“So I tried doing that from one end, while the others were picking wickets from the other. My role at that time was to keep up the pressure and keep bowling well. Hopefully I can take a few more wickets in the next match,” added the Haryana leg- spinner, who also scored a half century in India’s first innings.
Mishra also informed that the team was on a high after taking a 1-0 lead in the series but asserted that they will not take the foot off the pedal. “We feel highly motivated after that win. It was a collective effort and we did well in all departments, in batting, bowling, fielding and holding catches, everywhere. But we need to put that win behind us and think ahead,” said the man who is called ‘Mishy’ by his mates.
It was a Test of personal highs for the leg-spinner as well, getting picked ahead of Ravindra Jadeja as the second spinner, then scoring a rare Test half century and later taking important wickets of the West Indies’ tail-enders in both innings.
“Wickets are wickets and they don’t come cheaply in international cricket. I am happy that I went through the tail. At least I had some wickets to show for my efforts,” said Mishra.
