India vs Australia 2nd Test: Rahul Dravid checks in early to monitor Kotla conditions

A slow turner awaits Aussies as coach inspects pitch ahead of second TestNEW DELHI: The Ferozeshah Kotla was a fortress on Tuesday. Three days before the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test match, cameras and media were a strict no-no. It was very difficult to get a glimpse of the practice area. All this just for one reason — to keep the nature of the pitch under wraps. Indian cricket board (BCCI) curators Ashish Bhowmik and Tapash Chatterjee are overseeing the preparation.India coach Rahul Dravid, in fact, reached Delhi a day before the team and has been regularly visiting the Kotla. "Dravid has been visiting the stadium for a couple of days. He is closely monitoring the square to be used for the Test," a BCCI source said. With a berth in the World Test Championship Final at stake, India are taking no chances. Dravid has taken the lead and has been drawing the team's plans keeping prevailing conditions in mind.

Read AlsoI want to take it one Test match at a time, says Cheteshwar Pujara ahead of his 100th Test

India batter Cheteshwar Pujara, who is set to play his 100 Tests against Australia in Delhi, on Tuesday said that he is not thinking about how long he can play and wants to take it one Test at a time. Pujara will become the 13th Indian to play 100 or more Tests.

The Indian team assembled inDelhi on Tuesday evening. While R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and KS Bharat travelled from Nagpur, the rest were allowed to take a break after the first Test finished early. The Australian team too landed in Delhi on Tuesday. However, Mitchell Starc has been training in Delhi for the last couple of days.The pitch may become the centre of discussion again. The Ferozeshah Kotla, known for its slow nature, has managed to