India hinders Australia's training plans at Lord's ahead of WTC Final

The WTC Final is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, June 11, at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground. In the Test match between Australia and South Africa, an unusual rivalry has taken shape with India joining the equation, thanks to England. Team India, who are set to begin their new WTC cycle later this month, have already arrived in England for their five-match series against the English. Despite the clear difference in schedules between the WTC Final and the India vs England Test series, Team India received clearance to practice at Lord's before the Kangaroos.

Australia Denied Access to Lord's Ahead of WTC Final, India Practicing at Venue for England Tour

Lord's Cricket Ground was allotted as the venue for the third edition of the ICC World Test Championship Final. Eager to secure a training session at the venue ahead of their title defense against South Africa, the Kangaroos requested access to the ground. However, their request was denied, as the India squad was using the venue to prepare for their five-match Test series against England, which doesn’t begin until June 20. According to reports, the Aussies were informed that the training facilities at Lord’s were unavailable, although no official reason was cited.

The report suggested that India was given priority access to Lord’s, effectively sidelining the Australian team from training there. The information further noted that India’s Test series against England doesn’t begin until June 20, with their match at Lord’s scheduled for much later, on July 10, the third Test of the series. Eventually, the Australian players did manage to get some practice time at the historic ground, stepping onto the field on Sunday. Captain Pat Cummins later addressed the media, touching on the team's preparation strategy, the challenges of playing at Lord’s, and the frequent hostility they face at the iconic venue.

“I think this is the best version of the stadium this morning,” Cummins said. “There’s no one around, which is great. I’m sure it will be much more civil this time around. Things got pretty heated in the middle of that Ashes series, but I think a lot of them will have learned their lesson and I’m sure they’ll be very polite," he added.