Dambulla, Aug. 11: To the casual observer, the practice sessions at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium would have come as a complete shock. The team that won the opening game of the tri-series here on Tuesday by a mammoth margin were back for a gruelling session barely 12 hours later, while the losers cooled their heels.
Though it was an optional session a good number of Kiwis were present working on key areas of their game while the Indians went to DND mode.
Off-spinner Nathan McCullum made it to practice shortly after reaching the temple town.
Another defeat could take India closer towards the exit and switching off from the game is the solution, according to Team India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
“I think it’s important to take some time off. We have a six-day break where we will keep ourselves away from cricket, after that we can get back work on our skills to be ready for the next game,” the captain said after the loss.
Sri Lanka, who arrived here on Tuesday evening, had a full fledged session with senior batsmen Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene spending close to an hour in the nets. Lasith Malinga who did not look at his best in the third Test in Colombo had a light workout and bowled a few overs at full clip.