Melbourne [Australia], December 23: As they prepare for the highly anticipated Boxing Day Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Team India participated in a lively and competitive fielding drill, with a $300 cash prize up for grabs.
The series is currently tied 1-1 after India secured a draw in the third Test in Brisbane, and all eyes are now on the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where the Boxing Day Test will begin on December 26. Ahead of the match, the Indian team took part in an energetic fielding session, shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on their official social media platform.
In the video, India’s fielding coach T Dilip explained the drill, where players aimed to hit different targets with varying point values: one point for hitting a larger stump, two points for a smaller one, and four points for hitting the ball in the center. The players were divided into three groups, each led by a young captain, and they took turns trying to score points from six balls at each marker.
The main goal of the drill was to energize the team before the nets session, ensuring they were prepared and motivated for the upcoming Test match. “The key objective today was to make sure we got some energy going before the net practice,” Coach Dilip said.
The session concluded with Dhruv Jurel’s group winning the $300 prize, adding an element of fun and intensity to the practice. The BCCI shared the exciting moment on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Target hitting with points system. 3 groups led by young captains. Cash reward on the line. Fun, energy, and intensity – #TeamIndia gears up for the Melbourne Test with a lively fielding drill.”
India’s squad for the Boxing Day Test includes: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
Australia’s squad features: Pat Cummins (C), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Travis Head (VC), Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith (VC), Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.