Rahul Dravid Remains at Work During Team India’s Day Off Ahead of Bangladesh Clash

The Indian cricket team took a well-deserved break from training in Pune before their World Cup 2023 clash with Bangladesh. While the team rested, coach Rahul Dravid remained on duty, inspecting the pitch at the MCA Stadium.

The team had arrived in Pune on Sunday amidst a warm welcome but had no practice session scheduled for Monday. They were set to hit the nets on Tuesday evening. After an impressive performance against Pakistan in front of a massive crowd in Ahmedabad, the break was earned, but not for Rahul Dravid.

Just as he did before the Pakistan match, Dravid visited the venue to assess the pitch’s conditions. He spent time with curators and ground staff, discussing the nature of the pitch. This diligence is particularly important as it’s the first World Cup match to be played in Pune, introducing an element of unpredictability.

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Historical data suggests that the Pune pitch is usually batting-friendly, with 8 out of 14 ODIs at this venue witnessing teams scoring over 300 runs. The previous ODI here saw both India and England exceed 300 runs, with India winning by 7 runs.

Players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, and KL Rahul would hope for a pitch conducive to high-scoring games. Rohit, in particular, has been on a six-hitting spree, with 11 sixes in just three innings in the tournament.

However, the type of soil used can significantly influence the pitch’s behavior. Red soil tends to provide grip and turn, while black soil typically favors run-scoring.

India has had a strong start in the tournament, winning all three matches against Australia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. They currently top the points table. In contrast, Bangladesh beat Afghanistan but faced defeats against New Zealand and England.

Bangladesh faces concerns about their captain, Shakib Al Hasan’s fitness, after he sustained an injury during their last match against New Zealand.