India have banned spectators from training sessions for the rest of the Border-Gavaskar series after a huge crowd turned out to watch them prepare for the Adelaide Oval Test.
Up to 5000 people attended an open training session on Tuesday night, with India going through a full dress rehearsal with the pink ball.
Fans packed the stands to watch India’s stars kick around a soccer ball, rising together as Virat Kohli simply walked out onto the ground.
Spectators took any position they could find to watch their heroes train in the nearby nets, filling space up to four levels above.
Indian management are notoriously protective of their stars, aware of the God-like status they have at home, and increasingly, anywhere they travel around the world.
Cricket Australia will work with India to keep training sessions in Brisbane and Sydney closed.
But the nets at the MCG are visible by anyone nearby, although fans will not be able to get as close to the players as they were in Adelaide.
“India have expressed a preference for their remaining training sessions not to be open to the public to minimise potential noise or distractions,” a CA spokesperson told AAP.
Ahead of the first Test in Perth, Indian management dictated where media could stand when watching nets sessions.
Virat Kohli of India celebrates reaching a century. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
A walkway at Optus Stadium, behind the batsmen, was deemed unacceptable and journalists were asked to move to another spot.
Media will still be able to watch sessions for the rest of the series, even though the public aren’t.
Australia will continue holding open sessions to the public, with a strong crowd watching training on Tuesday before the India juggernaut took centre stage.
India batter KL Rahul called the opening training session “different”.
“We have practised with crowds but it’s mostly T20 and ODIs back home, we’ve had crowds come in and watch our practice sessions,” he said on Wednesday.
“It felt a little different but also it adds to your preparation for the Test match and gives us a bit of what we can expect on day one and all the days here in Adelaide, so it was good.”
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Some of that preparation included taunting from the crowd, with The Age reporting Indian batters were asked to take selfies, and even mocked or laughed at if they missed the ball or were dismissed during the net session.
As the first Test demonstrated, the Indian fans show unwavering commitment to watching their stars – even climbing trees outside of the practice nets just to get a glimpse.
© AAP