Given the limited time between matches (with the second Test day ending on Monday and the first ODI scheduled for Thursday), a delayed flight past midnight was the last thing the players desired.
The Indian Test team members who are also part of the ODI squad in the Caribbean reportedly experienced sleep deprivation and were left annoyed before the commencement of the ODI leg against the West Indies due to a flight delay. Following a washout on Day 5 at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad which resulted in the second Test ending in a draw, players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and Co were scheduled to travel from Trinidad at 11 pm to reach Barbados, the venue for the first ODI, early in the morning.
However, an Indian Express report revealed that the flight was delayed, taking off around 3 am which understandably infuriated the players. Given the limited time between matches (with the second Test day ending on Monday and the first ODI scheduled for Thursday), a delayed flight past midnight was the last thing the players desired. The report also mentioned that the Indian team management requested the BCCI to avoid late-night flights in the future, as the players require sufficient time to rest between matches.
“They had left the hotel by 8:40 pm for the airport and had to wait for a long time at the airport. The team management has requested us to book a morning flight instead of late-night flights as players want some rest post game. The BCCI has agreed to it and is planning to revise the next schedule,” a source in the BCCI was quoted as saying in the report.
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The delayed flight and the hectic travel schedule led the members of the Test squad to decide to skip the practice session in Barbados. The first two ODIs are set to take place in Barbados, followed by the players’ return to Trinidad for the final ODI.
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