Ennui seems to be getting the better of the Indian team.
Ennui seems to be getting the better of the Indian team.
The players are feeling overwhelmed by tedium, thanks to the lengthy breaks between matches in the group stage, and fear they might lose focus. "The break doesn't help. The gap in between games is too much. We're getting bored and a long rest also takesu00a0 away the focus," a senior player in the Indian team told MiD DAY yesterday.
"These long breaks would also affect our momentum. It is a real problem, but we can't help it. We have to accept it." The players yesterday were given rest for the second day on the trot, a rarity in times of packed itineraries where one warm-up match is considered a luxury. However, their activity has been restricted to gym and swimming sessions.
Interestingly, before the start of the World Cup, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni had welcomed the long gaps, saying it would give injured players time to get fit.u00a0 And Virender Sehwag took the time off to fly to Delhi to get treated for the rib cage injury he suffered during the nets prior to the England game.
The other issue that has upset the players is how the Decision Review System was put to use during the England game when they challenged a 'not out' decision against Ian Bell.
Replays showed that the England middle order batsman was out leg before, but the DRS was not applied and the original decision stood because the impact of the ball was more than 2.5 metres from the stumps.
One player said that the teams were not briefed about the regulations governing the DRS. "Actually we didn't know (the 2.5m rule) at all. I think most of the teams were not aware of it. That was the fundamental problem," the player said.
An ICC Technical Committee member clarified that all teams were briefed about the DRS regulations.
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