The Indian cricket team has landed in Australia and appears to have stepped up security measures ahead of their first Test against Pat Cummins’ side in Perth next week.
Fresh from their dismal 3-0 defeat to New Zealand, India are taking all precautions to ensure their training camp remains top secret.
And it appears this has gone so far as to ban a group of construction workers from watching or filming their workouts, according to a report from The Western Australia.
Construction workers had been carrying out work on the northern part of the land as part of the $154.7 million project, which will see a new clubhouse, swimming pool and health and wellness center built on the site.
The WACA is also home to WA Cricket’s headquarters and staff have also reportedly been advised not to film or photograph Indian training sessions.
Construction workers banned from watching or filming India’s top-secret training sessions at the WACA (Photo: Construction workers watch a Sheffield Shield match between Western Australia and Queensland at the WACA during a break)
India are stepping up security measures ahead of their first Test against Australia next week by installing black screens around the WACA where they are currently training
The tourists arrived in Australia earlier this week and got straight to work, with Virat Kohli pictured in the nets on Wednesday
India arrived in WA earlier this week and prepared for next week’s opening Test against Australia in the nets at the WACA.
The iconic cricket ground is currently undergoing major improvement works which aim to transform the stadium into a multi-sports facility with a capacity of 10,000.
India has also installed a black screen around the ground, preventing bystanders from watching as India trains in the nets.
The tarp was seen being attached to fencing around the Nelson Crescent side of the training facility, located between the WACA and Gloucester Park.
There were several vantage points where journalists stood outside the ground and got a brief glimpse of the Indian batters in the nets during their session on Thursday, which lasted a few hours.
It comes after India’s arrival and plans to remain in Australia have been shrouded in secrecy, with The West also reporting last week that Cricket Australia had not been informed of many details about their stay.
India appear eager to lock things down as they look to bounce back from their defeat to New Zealand.
This is not the first time that India has tightened security while touring Australia.
During the 2022 T20 World Cup, a hotel contractor allegedly filmed themselves walking through Virat Kohli’s hotel room. The person was subsequently arrested by the hotel.
Construction workers at the iconic cricket ground are currently working on a massive $154.7 million redevelopment project (Photo: Construction workers at the WACA pick up a ball during a Sheffield Shield match between Western Australia and New South Wales)
India will be looking to bounce back from the dismal 3-0 defeat to New Zealand with a win Down Under
Kohli, who has endured a purple patch in form of late, then responded to the video that surfaced on social media and expressed concern over his privacy.
“I do NOT agree with this kind of fanaticism 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 even expect to have personal space?”
India had opted to play two matches on that tour against a WA
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 parrying balls from his teammates. Captain Rohit Sharma was absent as he apparently stayed behind in India for the birth of his son.
The first Test starts on Friday, November 22, but tensions appear to have already bubbled away between both sides this week after Ricky Ponting became embroiled in a war of words with India coach Gautam Gambhir.
Ponting appeared to speak out against the recent form of Kohli and Sharma, with the two experienced batsmen struggling to find runs against New Zealand.
“There’s probably no one else who is likely to play international cricket as a top-order batsman who has scored just two Test match hundreds in five years,” he said on the ICC’s review podcast.
India looked upbeat during the session, with their first Test against Australia on Friday, November 22
Kohli was also seen kicking with his teammates during a hot training session at the WACA
It comes after Ricky Ponting was involved in a war of words with the Indian coach this week
Gautam Gambhir (pictured) hit back at Ricky Ponting for his analysis of Rohit Sharma and Rohit Sharma
But Gambhir hit back: ‘What does Ponting have to do with Indian cricket? I think he should think about Australian cricket,” he said at a press conference before his team left India.”
He then defended his two star players and said, “More importantly, I am not worried at all about Virat and Rohit.
‘They are very tough men. They have achieved a lot for Indian cricket and will continue to achieve a lot in the future.
‘For me the most important thing is that they still work very hard, and are still passionate, they want to achieve much more.
‘The hunger in that dressing room is extremely important to me.
“I feel there’s a lot of hunger, especially after what happened in the last series.”