WATCH! India start preparations for first Test against South Africa with foot-volley

India arrived here via a chartered flight on Friday morning (December 17) after three days of hard quarantine in Mumbai.

The players had to isolate for a day in a resort here before they could have an outdoor session. In a video tweeted by BCCI on Saturday (December 18), the team members including head coach Rahul Dravid were seen enjoying a game of foot-volley.

How did #TeamIndia recharge their batteries ahead of their first training session in Jo’Burg? ????

On your marks, get set & Footvolley! ☺️????????????#SAvIND pic.twitter.com/dIyn8y1wtz

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 18, 2021

The series is taking place amid the rising threat of COVID-19 following the emergence of the Omicron variant in southern Africa.

India’s tour was put in serious doubt because of the prevailing situation but both the boards agreed to go ahead with the tour.

The visitors are staying in a resort which is entirely booked for them by Cricket South Africa to ensure a strict bubble is maintained through out the series.

Since it is not the usual five-star hotel, the players have enough open space to move around the property.

The players have been vocal about tough life in the bio-bubbles.

India’s strength and conditioning coach Soham Desai gave an insight to what the players have been up to so far.

“We have had three days of hard quarantine in Mumbai and 10 hours of long flight and yesterday was again a hard quarantine here. So starting our skill sessions would have been high risk for the guys.

“So they just went for a run, stretched out and sweated it out and this game will help bridge the gap between inactivity and skill sessions which we start tomorrow.

“Also the schedule is such that we have to get going right away. We can only do so much. The elevation here is 1400 metres and we are coming from sea level so the guys will take two three days to adapt.”

Talking about players’ love for footvolley, Desai added, “This game can now be called the Indian cricket team game. We give them many other options but they end up choosing footvolley.

“They love it and they have their own battles within the team for years now. It helps them focus on the game and stay in a happy place.”

KL Rahul to be vice-captain?

Meanwhile, it has been emerged that opener KL Rahul will don the vice-captaincy role for the upcoming three-match Test series against South Africa.

Rohit Sharma would have been the vice-captain, but a hamstring injury ruled him out of the series and hence Rahul would act as deputy to Virat Kohli.

Sources in the know of developments said that Rahul would indeed be the vice-captain for Tests against South Africa.

“Yes, with Rohit missing, KL Rahul would be the vice-captain,” the source told ANI.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday had confirmed that Rohit Sharma was ruled out of the three-match Test series against South Africa due to a hamstring issue.

“Team India Test vice-captain Rohit Sharma sustained a left hamstring injury during his training session here in Mumbai yesterday,” the BCCI stated in an official release.

“He has been ruled out of the upcoming 3-match Test series against South Africa. Priyank Panchal will replace Rohit Sharma in the Test squad,” it added.