NET practice at fortress PCA

The Indian and English cricket teams attended practice sessions at the PCA Stadium on Wednesday amid the watchful eyes of three quick reaction teams and scores of specially trained commandos.

The Indian and English cricket teams attended practice sessions at the PCA Stadium on Wednesday amid the watchful eyes of three quick reaction teams and scores of specially trained commandos.

While the England team sweated it out in the morning, the Indian team practised in the afternoon.

With a day to go for the second and last Test match of the series, the authorities have left no stone unturned to assure foolproof security for the players. 8220;We have full support of the local authorities regarding the security concerns. During the India-Australia Test match in October, there were incidents of a few people entering the stadium with fake identity cards, but this time we have taken full measures. Each I-card is signed by the security officer in-charge and there is no chance of repeating that mistake,8221; said I S Bindra, president, Punjab Cricket Association, at a press conference.

Mediapersons arriving at the stadium to watch the practice sessions were kept waiting outside the ground due to non-availability of I-cards. It was only after they got the cards that the security personnel allowed them entry. Similar was the situation with television crews who had to shoot from the stands.

Yuvraj, Harbhajan miss practice session
While the Indian cricketers practised for over two hours in the afternoon, local lad Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh were conspicuous by their absence. According to team sources, the two wanted some rest and time to spend with friends.

No floodlights to be used
A day after reports came in that floodlights can be used in case of bad light, Punjab Cricket Association secretary M P Pandove put an end to the speculation. 8220;We had sent a proposal to the ECB and the BCCI for the use of floodlights in case of bad light. Since floodlights were not used in Chennai, we cannot use them here. Both the teams have agreed to play in natural playing conditions. There was also an idea of starting the match 30 minutes ahead but this idea was scrapped too,8221; said Pandove. According to the meteorological department, there is a possibility of more fog and mist in the coming days.

English players8217; shopping trip
Despite heavy security, some of the players from the English team went for shopping in the Sector 17 Plaza after the net session. Alastair Cook, Stephen Harminson, Monty Panesar, Owais Shah and a few team officials were seen shopping in the market, giving the security personnel a tough time keeping the curious onlookers at bay.