India shuts out Sydney fans in final, desperate move to save Border-Gavaskar series

Under enormous pressure, and needing to win in Sydney to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India has attempted one final, desperate move to protect their misfiring stars.

India has demanded a black out curtain be erected at the SCG to stop fans peeping in on their final training session on Thursday as the tourists launch operation shut out in Sydney.

Rohit Sharma’s side is under enormous pressure needing to win in Sydney to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and siege mentality is in full force.

India cancelled their scheduled training session on New Year’s Day and it’s understood they have insisted their pre-match hit-out must be a closed session away from the eyes of their adoring public.

Captain Sharma and veteran superstar Virat Kohli are out of form and must desperately find something in Sydney to salvage a series which started to slip from their grasp in Melbourne with Australia’s epic final day triumph.

Workers block out the gates at the request of India for their practice on Thursday. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Australia will welcome fans into their final training session at the SCG on Thursday, but security will then have to ensure members of the public are escorted off the precinct before India begins its session in the afternoon.

Last year, Pakistan welcomed in several hundred supporters to watch their training session at the SCG ahead of the Sydney Test, but India prefer to train under the cloak of secrecy.

In Perth to start the tour, the WACA was instructed to erect black curtains around the training facilities and builders on site were ordered not to take photos or videos or even watch training while on the job – such was India’s desperation for players to be able to train in peace.

Thousands of fans flooded into Adelaide Oval to watch an Indian training session before the second Test, before the team swiftly reacted by shutting down all future sessions from the public due to the supposed distraction it was causing for players.

It’s been a testy tour for India punctuated by run-ins with the Australian media at airports and press conferences.

Originally published as India shuts out Sydney fans in final, desperate move to save Border-Gavaskar series