Dambulla, Aug. 8: The Indian ODI squad of 20 players arrived here in style on Saturday morning by two helicopters from Colombo. “It was an exciting experience. The journey lasted for not more than 30 minutes. The view from nearly 4,000 feet was clear,” said off-spinner R. Ashwin.
Having arrived in this central Sri Lankan town, the team management decided to give rest to the players calling off even the optional practice session. Also, the team kit arrived only by road.
The New Zealanders who arrived in Sri Lanka last week finished their warm-up games at the newly built stadium in Pallikale near Kandy on Friday, registering comfortable wins in both their matches. India play New Zealand in the lung opener on Tuesday at the Rangiri International Stadium. The Kiws who are here without the services of Daniel Vettori, Jessie Ryder and Brendon McCullum are being led by Ross Taylor.