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| India Pakistan Semi Final Fixed? |
Ahead of the do-or-die battle, the Indian team were boosted by the presence of Mike Horn, the high-profile adventurer and motivational guru whose pep talks are said to do the team’s confidence a world of good.
Horn’s presence in Mohali is crucial as the battle against Pakistan will be all about mental strength. Horn is known to dwell on the mental toughness bit and the manner in which challenges should be surmounted.
A legend in adventure sport, Horn has travelled around the world alone, sans motorised transport, and completed the circumnavigation of the Arctic Circle.
The South Africa-born Horn, whose last stint with the Indian team was prior to the World Cup, has rejoined and was seen during the practice session on Sunday at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium. He was among the firsts to come out on the field, along with coach Gary Kirsten and paceman Munaf Patel, and was seen having a long chat with both of them.
Prior to the training session, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Kirsten and bowling coach Eric Simmons walked up to the pitch and had a long, hard look at it. Accompanying the trio was curator Daljit Singh, all of whom were later involved in discussion for close to five minutes.
Sources said the Indian team management was curious to know the nature of the wicket and were satisfied when they were told that the pitch was expected to behave the same way it did in the other two World Cup matches previously played at this venue. The curator is believed to have assured the Indian captain that the batting side would be able to produce at least 270 to 300 runs on this wicket.
“The dew factor in the evening was one more thing that remained the prime concern of the Indians,” sources said. “They were told that there could be dew on the wicket during the second innings of the day-night match. To minimise the effect, the groundsmen might stop watering the pitch in the last couple of days,” he added.
Once the inspection of the pitch was over, Dhoni and his boys had an almost three-and-a-half hour long training session, although they did not go to the nets. For more than an hour, the boys played football, had some fielding practice and then got down to play volleyball.
The other local player, Harbjahan Singh, joined his teammates much after they had taken the field. Harbhajan had gone to visit his home in Jalandhar and by the time he returned, his teammates had already started training.
Many, if not most eyes, were fixed on Sachin Tendulkar. As the nation awaits Sachin’s century of centuries, it was understandable why everyone could not take their eyes off him. Like the rest of the team, Sachin did not opt for the nets, although his new bat was being “knocked around” by the likes of Sehwag and Suresh Raina.
Outside the stadium, there were fans all around, cheering their heroes. Ardent Indian fans are ready for even louder cheers if Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team get the better of Pakistan on Wednesday.
Sources: http://www.telegraphindia.com
