England have first net session ahead of limited over contests

England, led by limited over specialist Eoin Morgan, had their first net session at the Brabourne Stadium here on Sunday after returning to India at the end of their Christmas and New Year break.

The entire team, barring key batsman Joe Root, had a three-hour training session this morning in cooler temperatures than they had witnessed during the five-Test rubber in which the visitors were drubbed 4-0 by Virat Kohli’s Indian team.

Nine members of the vanquished Test squad have returned to play under Morgan who was himself not part of the defeated team led by Alastair Cook who is, in turn, not part of the ODI and T20 party.

Root, who has stayed back for personal reasons, is expected to join the squad here on January 12, the day the visitors will play their second warm-up game against an India A squad to be held by the fit-again Ajinkya Rahane.

“Root is set to join the team on Thursday and travel with the team to Pune (venue of the first of three ODIs on January 15). He would certainly like to play that game if selected,” said a visiting team source after the practice session. The Englishmen would confront a stronger India A side led by captain Dhoni.