Finally, Indians relax playing for charity

With the agitated Team India looking for some relaxation, what better way was there to be in Sydney and literally tune into Baywatch!

So the Indians went straight to meet the lifeguards there — and before eyebrows are raised one needs to clarify that they were there to play a round of beach volleyball with a bunch of guys for charity.

A mock warm-up game among the team-members preceded the big one — Team India vs Bond Beach Lifeguards — today morning.

The match was filmed and will be used in a documentary relating to the lifeguards. The veterans gave the stage today to the young legs in the team for most part and Team India won in a match that went down to the wire. The score — 10-9 in favour of the visitors. Maybe a reflection of the spirit in the team now where they are no longer ready to give in.

They splashed around — not far from a bevy of beauties wanting to join them — but soon they cut short their session and joined the rest of the team at ‘Nicks’ — a popular food bar for lunch.

“Yesterday the whole team stayed in the hotel and a lot of things were happening, they wanted some change. It is important for them to relax, so that we can get our focus back,” said Lalchand Rajput.

And the time spent on the beach seemed to have worked. The smiles were back again, But the seething anger among the Indian players remain just below the surface — the anger against Ricky Ponting and some other the Australian players for the way they conducted themselves during and after the second Test. And their resolve was evident every time the Harbhajan issue cropped up. Harbhajan was at the beach too, serving well for his side in the game and defending successfully too.

... contd.