India aim to reframe unfamiliar pressure as privilege

India's nets session on Saturday was a beehive of activity, sprawled across the Eden Gardens.

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The captain, head coach and bowling coach were seen in discussion. (Getty)

(Getty)

Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma took on pace in two adjacent nets, while Gautam Gambhir, Suryakumar Yadav and Morne Morkel huddled near the strip closest to the match pitch, pulling out measuring tapes and tiny cones to discuss lengths.

Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav were also around, sweating it out in a two-hour session. All of this should be standard and not come as a surprise, except that it was an optional session and had more attendees than usual at these digs.

India typically hold their most intense practice two days before a game, with the eve kept light and optional. But the tight turnaround after the Zimbabwe match in Chennai meant Friday was spent in transit. Saturday evening became their first chance to get bat on ball and take a first look at the pitch.

Sunday presents a curious entry in this white-ball juggernaut's calendar. It is a game where they now find themselves in a fight to stay alive in the World Cup. India rarely play knockouts before the knockouts, especially in tournaments they are expected to reach the very end of. The pressure of such a situation must feel unfamiliar, and even odd to an extent.