Indians prepare for 1st Test with strenuous net session

The Indian cricket team on Monday got down to serious business for the new season with a strenuous training session ahead of the first Test against New Zealand starting on Thursday.

The team under captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni warmed up by playing football among the players before having an intensive practice session comprising batting, bowling and catching at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium.

Sachin Tendulkar had a long batting stint at the nets, preparing for his first international match after the Asia Cup in Bangladesh early this year. The likes of top-order batsmen Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli followed suit for batting practice.

Speedsters Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav sent down some express deliveries to rattle the batsmen while spinners Pragyan Ojha and Ravichandran Ashwin too bowled in tandem.

The home side players wrapped up the practice session with a football match among themselves.

While the Indians did their net session in the afternoon, the visiting Kiwis had their practice session in the morning.