The England side has traveled to Dubai to rejuvenate before the next Test kickstarts from February 15 in Rajkot.
After conceding the second IND vs ENG Test, the Three Lions had left India and gone to Dubai in a bid to prepare for the third Test in Rajkot. However, the England side has taken a unique approach to rejuvenate before the next Test kickstarts from February 15.
England head coach Brendon McCullum emphasized that there would “not be a whole lot of training” in Abu Dhabi, despite the exceptional facilities that prompted England’s decision to utilize them for series preparation. Instead, the priority this time is on relaxation and spending time with families, to the extent that players are not required to bring their cricket gear with them.
McCullum was quoted as saying by The Telegraph, “It will be pretty relaxed. There will not be a whole lot of training. The boys have worked incredibly hard in Abu Dhabi keeping in mind they all came here with a lot of cricket under their belt as well. We have had plenty of training days, two varying Test matches and this is an opportunity to step away from the heat of the battle.”
Interestingly, BCCI has organised for a charter flight to facilitate the trip, which ends on Monday (February 12) when England travels back to Rajkot for two days’ training ahead of the IND vs ENG 3rd Test. Later in the tour, there is another long break, during which England is slated to stay in India.
This isn’t the first time that a visiting team has headed for a break in between a series. During the Ashes last summer, Australian players took holidays across Europe with their families, in locations such as Amsterdam and Majorca in order to recuperate.
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