Helping Team India

8226; Match day preparation starts with the team dinner, the night before. Each player is given a food chart, the focus is on Indian food. The specifics remain a secret but dal is definitely in, so are fruits and grilled kebab-like stuff, or poached and steamed items. Any oily or fried food is out.

Insider8217;s view: 8220;Some of the vegetarian dishes of southern India have everything we are looking for. But some others are very high in oil, especially the gravies, curries and rice-based biryanis 8212; delicious, but not the best for athletes. You only get from your body what you put into it. If you put crap fuel into a car, it8217;s not going to perform.8221;

Drained? Only one way to know

8226; Urine tests the previous night to check whether players are dehydrated. Based on the reading, players are given specific drinks. For instance, a player may be asked to take one litre of fluid of which 500ml is an electrolyte replacement. Or, a player who is more prone to cramping will have a different drink.

Insider8217;s view: 8220;We have had an issue in the past with cramping. If you are in a dehydrated state, you run the risk of injury, muscle soreness and less effective recovery. Crucially, concentration levels fall the more dehydrated you are.8221;

Match morning, busy

8226; Players are tested once again for dehydration. Nothing fancy on the training front, just beach sessions, including stretching in the water to loosen up. The team reaches the ground an hour-and-a-half before a match starts.

There are always players who need special attention, parts of the body to be taped, strapped. Then, there are special stretches, rubs and massages. Finally, specific fitness tests for individual injuries.

Insider8217;s view: 8220;Some taping techniques are specialised and take a bit of time, especially for players who are prone to injuries. It8217;s a pretty hectic time when you enter the dressing room on match day mornings.8221;

Game over, more work

8226; After the last ball of the day, players8217; recovery is treated as preparation for next day. This includes ice baths for batsmen who have had long innings. Then, a dose of carbohydrates and proteins, some stretching, and more massage.

Insider8217;s view: 8220;After play, massage becomes very important, especially for fast bowlers who have bowled long spells, or spinners.8221;

24X7, THE BIG PICTURE

Tracking every ball

8226; Training ratings are prepared for every player, based on daily workload. For instance, every ball bowled by a frontline bowler during practice and the match is counted. This helps to determine if somebody has been over-bowled, under-bowled, needs more work, needs to be restricted.

Insider8217;s view: 8220;If a player gets an injury, a back injury in the case of a fast bowler, we can go back over his bowling loads and his training loads. We find out if it8217;s a result of over-training or under-training, overload. Likewise, if the coach feels a player is looking fatigued, we go back through his workload to find the answer.8221;

Food again, Chappell8217;s there

The focus is on wholesome, healthy food, whenever possible. But there is often a problem for vegetarians, especially on tour. And that8217;s where inputs come from unexpected quarters.

Insider8217;s view: 8220;We take advice from the players themselves, because both of us are not vegetarians. It8217;s difficult to understand what they want, whether it8217;s appropriate. Fortunately, Greg Chappell is vegetarian, so he gives us some advice.8221;

Tablet packs for each player

8226; When they don8217;t get the diet they are looking for, they bank on 8220;supplements8221;. It also works during match days when players don8217;t feel like eating in the midst of heavy exercise.

Insider8217;s view: 8220;Here, for example, it8217;s very difficult to get Indian diet. So we supplement them in tablet form 8212; minerals, nutrients. Each player is issued a pack. We also look at energy bars, protein drinks, carbohydrate drinks during the day8217;s play.8221;

Off season, what8217;s that?

8226; With no real off-season these days, most of the fitness programmes 8212; to strengthen specific muscle groups 8212; are incorporated into the players8217; daily cricket drills.

Insider8217;s view: 8220;It will be nice to have an off-season. If you look at the calendar since July last year, we haven8217;t really had an off-season. The maximum we have got is about three weeks at a stretch. So there are times when you just got to let them be, mentally and physically.8221;

THE PAPERWORK

8226; Daily injury reports, notes on every player every day. Injury percentages are worked out, which is the number of injuries a player has had in a specific area, to know over a period of time which part of his body needs to be strengthened.

AND THE CHALLENGE

8220;The all-encompassing passion in cricket is daunting. At the end of the day, you have got to realise that you can8217;t please everybody. It can also be quite stressful because you know that so many people are riding on certain players and you have to make a decision on whether that player plays or doesn8217;t or needs this done or needs that done. It can be pretty demanding. But at the end of the day, you have to go back to what you know, what you have learnt.8221;

8212; John Gloster