Indian players begin prep camp

India's top cricket players began a week-long preparatory camp. Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, M S Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir, V V S Laxman, Mohammed Kaif, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, R P Singh, Munaf Patel and Ishant Sharma participated in a mix of warm-up, fielding and catching drills.

Pragyan Ojha and Rohit Sharma, who were the other two members of the team that toured Sri Lanka, were not present as they have been picked to play for the Yuvraj Singh-led Board President's XI's match against Australia beginning in Hyderabad on October two. Coach Gary Kirsten, mental and physical trainer and strategic leadership coach Paddy Upton, bowling coach B K Venkatesh Pradesh and fielding coach Robin Singh guided the proceedings which lasted two-and-half-hours at M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Tendulkar said the first session went off well. "It feels good.

When you come back into the team, you feel certain energy", the ace batsman who missed the Irani Trophy last week said. An elbow injury during the third Test against Sri Lanka last month had forced him out of the subsequent one-day series.

"It's mainly fitness targeting session. I thoroughly enjoyed it (first day of the camp)", he added.

Meanwhile, the Indian cricket squad for the first two Tests against Ricky Ponting's side would be selected on October one.