England’s batsmen faced a familiar name as they trained in the nets before the second Ashes Test, with Sachin Tendulkar’s son Arjun taking part in the session.
The teenager, tipped by Wasim Akram to have a big future in the game, was pictured in action against Ben Stokes in the nets at Lord’s.
Talking to NDTV in May, Akram said Arjun was an enthusiastic learner. “He is a 15-year-old who is like any other kid in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka – he’s very enthusiastic about his cricket. He’s a left-arm medium-pacer and I gave him some tips on the game.
“I told him a little bit about fitness, on wrist positioning and I explained to him how to bring the ball back onto the right-hander. He had a lot of questions for him and is very passionate about the game, and that is always a good sign.”
The training session featured a reduced schedule for Moeen Ali, after the off-spinner complained of side pain. However, captain Alastair Cook said he thinks the Worcestershire off-spinner should be available for the second Ashes Test.
Moeen played a vital part in England’s first Test victory in Cardiff, scoring 77 in the first innings and taking five wickets in the match including the key wickets of Steve Smith, Michael Clarke, David Warner and Brad Haddin.
Cook said: “We’ll make a final call tomorrow but it was more precautionary yesterday. It’s like always when you’ve got two games back to back, you’re a little bit careful with training. But unless he gets a reaction overnight I expect him to be in our side.”
