India’s cricketers were a relaxed lot as they trained ahead of the fourth Test at the Ageas Bowl here.
Virat Kohli’s men may trail England 2-1 but having won in emphatic fashion in Nottingham last week, they have little reason to be despondent. There was a coat of green on the playing surface on Tuesday although that could quickly change. It remains to be seen what team India puts out but Mohammed Shami was not in favour of an all-pace attack.
Should the team management opt to field one spinner in R. Ashwin, it will hope the off-spinner has recovered from the stiff hip that troubled him at Trent Bridge. Ashwin did not bowl on Monday, when India trained here for the first time, but he was back in action with the ball on Tuesday. He started off gently but was soon bowling as normal, although it would be understandable if he did not want to exert himself unduly at this stage.
Prithvi Shaw, who along with G. Hanuma Vihari arrived in the country on Friday, looked in fine touch in the nets, playing India’s quicks with ease. A debut, though, looks unlikely.
The fourth Test will begin on Thursday.
