Gautam Gambhir waited patiently for his turn as coach Gary Kirsten gave throwdowns to Sachin Tendulkar. “You are next,” said Kirsten, after about half-an-hour. Gautam wore his helmet and picked up the bat to move towards the nets. Fifteen minutes later, Gambhir returned to his chair — Tendulkar had decided that this was his hour at the nets which meant the left-hander’s wait was extended.

Eventually, when Tendulkar called it a day, Kirsten signalled to Gambhir with a tired request: “Grab a few water bottles on your way here.” It was tough to say who of the two — Tendulkar or Kirsten — was more exhausted. With the batsman keen to practise the drives, pulls, cuts and even the audacious guide over the slip to the rising ball, Kirsten had spent an hour being a bowling machine. The hard work is expected to bear fruits in the days to come. With Rahul Dravid not in the side, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh just returning after injury and the young batsmen in the squad not yet earning the ‘Mr. Reliable’ tag, it is clear India wouldn’t want their long-standing Atlas to shrug. In a series that will also see Tendulkar completing 20 years of international cricket, he will once again be the sherpa who’ll have the responsibility to guide his team to the top. Interestingly, another veteran batsman, Ricky Ponting, will also have a similar burden to shoulder. It was apparent when the Aussie captain entered the arena with his troops later in the afternoon. Considering his recent form, he too will hold the key to this tricky away series, given that not many in the ranks have proven credentials in the sub-continent.

... contd.