Ahead of South Africa series, Team India to undergo army training

Chandigarh, Sep 28: After fine tuning their cricket skills in Bengaluru, Team India will now undergo a tough 2-day boot camp ahead of the South Africa series, which starts in Dharamsala on October 2.

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Limited overs captain MS Dhoni and 31 other cricketers had a week-long preparatory camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. They wrapped up cricket training on Saturday (September 26).

Now, as they head north for a long series against the visiting Proteas side, the players will brace up for some army training.

According to a report in "The Times of India", the players will undergo "intensive high-altitude training" before the first Twenty20 International against South Africa in Dharamsala.

It was Team Director Ravi Shastri's idea to have a boot camp. "The two-day training will involve obstacle courses, high-altitude trekking and barrier courses. This has been planned by the team management to increase the endurance of the players, as a grilling home season awaits them," the newspaper's report on Sunday (September 27) said.

"The players and the coaching staff will arrive in the city (Chandigarh) on September 28. Earlier, they had planned to come on September 30. The training programme is based on the drills of the Indian Army," Mohit Sood, the press secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA), told the newspaper.

"The Indian team may also engage in a hike of nearly 7,000 feet above sea level," according to an official in HPCA.

India and South Africa will play 3 T20Is, 5 ODIs and 4 Tests. The visitors have already arrived in India and will start the tour with a T20 warm-up game against India A on September 29 in Delhi.

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