"Our fitness levels will be tested in these nine games," Amre told the Hindu. "The tournament is also a good opportunity for our players to prove their talent." The Indian squad, led by S Badrinath, is strong on paper, with seven players having international experience. But they can expect to face stiff opposition from Australia, who have several players with solid first-class base, and New Zealand, led by Peter Fulton and including fast bowler Tim Southee.
The Indian team went through a skills and fitness preparatory camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore on Saturday. Badrinath, M Vijay and R Ashwin will join the camp today after playing league matches in Chennai. Bangalore has seen rain in the past week, prompting the team to have an morning nets session in anticipation of showers in the afternoon.
The tournament begins on July 20, with Australia, South Africa and New Zealand being the other competing teams. The teams play each other twice, and the final will be held on August 1. New Zealand won the tournament last year, beating Australia by three wickets in the final.
