Indian think-tank went through some anxious moments on Sunday after both Rohit Sharma and Akashdeep were struck on their limbs while countering throw-downs in the outdoor practice arena at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) here on Sunday. The ‘Boxing-Day’ Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will commence on 26th December. The team captain Rohit Sharma however dealt with a sore left knee and iced it for a while Akash was hit on his hand but made light of the bruise. 

The skipper spent some time sitting with one leg stretched on a chair. He chatted with bowling coach Morne Morkel for a while before cautiously standing up. Later while wandering along, he had words with the last set of batsmen who were busy in the nets. Earlier, when he walked into bat, a loud cheer emanated from the fans, who had gathered on the mezzanine floor and were gazing at the Indian players.

Akash, meanwhile, flexed his hands a bit, briefly placed an ice bag, and later told the media, "The practice pitch is probably meant for white-ball cricket, the ball kept low at times. As for these minor injuries, these things happen at training, and there are no major concerns because of that. I am fine.”

If the climax of the training stint raised these injury worries, the beginning was all about fielding drills inside the MCG. The usual catches in the slips and high-ones in the deep were all practiced before the players moved to the nets outside. 

K.L. Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rohit, and Rishabh Pant were the first set of batters and all had a long stint even as the blow on the knee forced the Indian captain to seek rest.