When Evan Speechly was mistaken for Bruce Yardley

Updated on: 18 December,2011 07:25 AM IST |
Sai Mohan |

India's new physiotherapist Evan Speechly can quite easily pass off as a duplicate of former Australian off-spinner Bruce Yardley.

India's new physiotherapist Evan Speechly can quite easily pass off as a duplicate of former Australian off-spinner Bruce Yardley. After being spotted for the first time at the nets on Wednesday, this writer asked Pragyan Ojha if the Western Australian had joined the Indian side in any capacity. Ojha was obviously
bamboozled!

The same day, India skipper MS Dhoni was asked in a press conference if the team had added someone new to the support staff! Dhoni said: "No, it's the same support staff we have had for a while." And finally, on Saturday, when Gautam Gambhir was heard yelling "Evan" to the Yardley doppelganger, the confusion ended!

Shivlal Yadav or Sunny Deol?
A BUNCH of Indians flocked outside the Manuka Oval on Saturday to get autographs of Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, MS Dhoni, Ajinkya Rahaneu00a0-- the four players who took part in the optional practice session. Just when they were stepping out to enter the team bus, one of the fans had trouble recognising Shivlal Yadav.

His description of the Indian team manager was quite hilarious. "Who is that guy? He looks like the police inspector that stars in the Sunny Deol film Salaakhen," a Sikh fan said before bursting into laughter. And so did the flock of journalists around him!