The Indian cricket team has landed in Australia and appears to have been stepping up security measures ahead of its first Test against Pat Cummins’ team next week in Perth.
Fresh off their dismal 3-0 series loss to New Zealand, India are taking every precaution to ensure their training camp remains top secret.
And it appears he has even gone so far as to ban a group of construction workers from watching or filming his training sessions, according to a report from Western Australia.
Construction workers had been carrying out work on the northern portion of the site as part of the $154.7 million project, which will see a new clubhouse, pool and health and wellness center built at the place.
The WACA also houses the headquarters of WA Cricket and staff have also reportedly been warned not to film or take photographs of India’s training sessions.
Construction workers have been banned from watching or filming India’s top-secret training sessions at the WACA (pictured: Construction workers watch a Sheffield Shield match between Western Australia and Queensland at the WACA during a rest)
India are stepping up security measures ahead of their first Test against Australia next week by installing black screens around the WACA where they currently train.
The tourists arrived in Australia earlier this week and got to work right away. Virat Kohli appeared on the internet on Wednesday.
India arrived in WA earlier this week and have been preparing for next week’s opening Test against Australia at the WACA nets.
The iconic cricket ground is currently undergoing major improvement works that aim to transform the stadium into a multi-sports facility with a capacity of 10,000.
India has also erected a black screen around the ground, preventing passers-by from watching as India trains in the nets.
The tarp was seen placed on a fence around the Nelson Crescent side of the training facility, located between WACA and Gloucester Park.
There were several vantage points, from where journalists stood outside the field and were able to catch a brief glimpse of the Indian batsmen in the nets during their session on Thursday that lasted a couple of hours.
It comes after much secrecy has shrouded India’s arrival and her plans to stay in Australia, with The West also reporting last week that Cricket Australia had not been informed of many details about her stay.
India appear eager to close things out as they look to bounce back from their loss to New Zealand.
This is not the first time India has beefed up security during its tour of Australia.
During the 2022 T20 World Cup, a hotel contractor allegedly filmed himself walking around Virat Kohli’s hotel room. The hotel later detained the individual.
Construction workers at the iconic cricket ground are currently working on a massive $154.7 million redevelopment project (pictured: Construction workers at WACA recover a ball during a Sheffield Shield match between Western Australia and New South Wales)
India are looking to bounce back from their dismal 3-0 series loss to New Zealand with a win in Australia.
Kohli, who has suffered from poor form of late, later criticized the video that had emerged on social media, expressing concern over his privacy.
“I do NOT agree with this kind of bigotry and absolute invasion of privacy,” the Indian cricket legend said on Instagram.
“If I can’t have privacy in my own hotel room, where can I really expect personal space?”
India had opted to play two matches against a WA XI team during that tour, which attracted large crowds, but decided not to do the same during their current visit to Australia.
While doubts have been raised over Kohli’s place in India’s XI for next week’s opening Test, the batsman was seen in the nets on Wednesday fending off balls from his teammates. Captain Rohit Sharma was absent as he appears to have stayed back in India to attend the birth of his son.
The first Test will begin on Friday, November 22, but tensions between the two sides appear to have already risen this week after Ricky Ponting was caught in a war of words with India coach Gautam Gambhir.
Ponting appeared to speak against Kohli and Sharma’s recent form, with the two experienced batsmen struggling to find runs against New Zealand.
“There probably wouldn’t be anyone else playing international cricket like a top-order batsman who only scored two Test match hundreds in five years,” he said on the ICC review podcast.
India were in good spirits during the session, and their first Test against Australia will take place on Friday, November 22.
Kohli was also seen having fun with his teammates during a warm training session at the WACA.
It comes after Ricky Ponting was embroiled in a war of words with the India coach this week.
Gautam Gambhir (pictured) lashed out at Ricky Ponting for his analysis of Rohit Sharma and Rohit Sharma.
But Gambhir replied: ‘What does Ponting have to do with Indian cricket? “I think I should think about Australian cricket,” he said during a press conference before his team left India.
He later defended his two star players, stating: “More importantly, I don’t have any worries about Virat and Rohit.
“They are incredibly tough men. They have achieved a lot for Indian cricket and will continue to achieve a lot in the future too.
‘For me, the most important thing is that they still work very hard, they still are passionate, they still want to achieve much more.
“The hunger in that locker room is incredibly important to me.
“I feel like there’s a lot of hunger, especially after what happened in the last series.”