Just three days after their heartbreak at Lord’s, the Indian cricket team found a refreshing change of scene. Ahead of the fourth Test against England, the squad trained in a peaceful and scenic setting at Kent County Cricket Ground in Beckenham. Unlike their usual high-pressure sessions, this one had a noticeably relaxed vibe.
After a one-hour drive from London, the players stepped off the bus looking tired. But the calm surroundings in Beckenham seemed to lift their mood instantly. It was their only practice before the crucial Manchester Test, and the team clearly preferred this laid-back atmosphere.
Inside the dressing room, the players enjoyed a mix of music. From the Hanuman Chalisa to English pop and Punjabi hits, the playlist matched the mood—easy and cheerful.
“Aaj Duggal Ji behere hain,” joked Jasprit Bumrah when Rishabh Pant struggled to hear a journalist over the loud music. The comment, a reference to a famous Hindi movie, made everyone around burst into laughter.
Pant and Bumrah joined the warm-up routine but did not bowl. They also spent some time in the gym. Pant is recovering from a finger injury and is expected to be fit for the Manchester Test. Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj skipped bowling as part of workload management. With the series hanging in the balance, team management might consider resting one of them.
KL Rahul was the only player who skipped the Beckenham session.
Arshdeep Singh Injures His Hand in Nets
During the nets, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh suffered a hand injury. While bowling alongside Prasidh Krishna, he tried to stop a shot from Sai Sudharsan and ended up cutting his left hand.
“Yeah, he took a ball while he was bowling there, Sai had a ball and he tried to stop it and it’s just a cut, so we have to see how bad the cut is. Obviously the medical team has taken him off to see a doctor and obviously if he needs stitches or doesn’t need stitches that’s going to be important to our planning for the next few days,” explained assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate.
After the incident, Arshdeep walked around with a bandage. Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak called him in for a hit, but captain Shubman Gill noted that the pacer might not be able to bat due to the injury.
Morkel Pitches In as Net Bowler
With Arshdeep injured and Akash Deep not bowling, bowling coach Morne Morkel stepped in. He rolled his arm over in the nets, helping the batters get useful practice.
“It’s not a sort of direct practice machine for Jofra (laughs), but obviously Arsh going away there after he cut his hand and Akash not bowling today. Sometimes we run a bit thin and if we think the practice is good, someone rolling off 20 yards and a bit taller and shaping the new ball, it is good practice for the batters. They obviously like competing against Morne as well. But it’s mainly about getting the batters the best practice for the Test match,”
added Doeschate.
In good spirits, Morkel later walked back into the dressing room joking that he had taken a five-wicket haul against his own batters. The remark capped off a cheerful and productive day for the team.
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