Leaving no stone unturned: India to gear up for South Africa with intensive boot camp

It’s a long tour and the Indian cricket team is leaving no stone unturned in preparation for the South Africa series. After a week-long preparatory camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, the Indian team will now undergo an intensive boot camp. According to a report in Times of India, the team will spend two days in rigorous training in Dharmashala starting today. The report says that the training will involve players undergoing obstacle courses, high-altitude trekking and barrier courses. [caption id=“attachment_2447568” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File picture of India cricketers. AP[/caption] The camp was arranged on request of team director Ravi Shastri and the players will now arrive at Dharmashala two days before their previously scheduled arrival of 30 September. “The whole exercise is being done to help the team cope with and understand pressure situations, which they might find themselves in aplenty during the South Africa series and the season ahead that also includes the World T20,” a national selector told Times of India. “Such activities make a sportsman mentally tough. There is no room for any negativity.” The report said that Shastri spoke with Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association president Anurag Thakur and requested him to help out with the logistics for the boot camp. In recent times, boot camps have become a common measure employed by teams such as England and Australia to a good effect. Ahead of the 2010 Ashes, England went on a ‘bonding’ training camp in Germany where they slept in tents and took part in a series of activities including bungee jumps and boxing. Australia regularly conduct boot camps of their own – ranging from spending time in the outback (2006) to training at the Gold Coast. India captain Dhoni has had a long break since retiring from Test cricket and has been training with the Indian Army of late. Dhoni, who was inducted as an honorary Lieutenant-Colonel in the elite Parachute Regiment in 2011, successfully completed his first para jump from an AN-32 transport aircraft last month. India play their first match of the series on 2 October as they take on South Africa in the first T20I at Dharamsala. The tour consists of three T20Is, five ODIs and four Tests over 72 days. It will be grueling and intense and India will be hoping this boot camp gives them the edge they need to come out on top. Click here to read the full report.