We are preparing for Pakistan: Fulton
The players have been training here for the last fortnight and, although the squad for Australia has been decided, the trials for the Asia Cup are scheduled for Friday as coach Craig Fulton zeroes in on his final 18 for the World Cup qualifying event in Rajgir.
'It's going good, and it's nice to have the India A group back as well and good competition, we are excited about the Asia Cup, that's the main priority for the year. We specifically chose Australia to tour for that reason (tougher opponents than the teams in Asia Cup) because we want to make sure we have covered all bases. To play a top team like Australia, from a physical and a tactical point of view, it will highlight quite quickly if we are on track or not.
'It's not always easy, we had a tough time when we went there the last time but 3-4 months later, we beat Australia for the first time (in the Olympics). That's the ideal scenario, to play someone better than you and then close the gap between where you started and where you finished,' Fulton said after training on Tuesday.
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙤 𝘼𝙨𝙞𝙖 𝘾𝙪𝙥 2025. 🏆
Just 1 month to go. ⌛
From 29 August to 7 September, Rajgir Bihar is all set to welcome Asia's finest. 💪🏻
Get ready for non stop action, electrifying crowds and moments that will go down in… pic.twitter.com/d1xZGfnSC0 — Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) July 29, 2025
The India A side also had mixed results on its Europe tour recently, but Fulton insisted it was part of a long-term process. 'With the India A, it's all development, they are not there to win games against Holland and Belgium and England.
'At the same time, we are looking at developing the next group of talented athletes. But they need good games, and they need to be tested, and I think we really got a good balance of seeing that.
'We just want to create more depth because what happens now with the Under-21s? They finish the World Cup, they can't come straight into the senior group, where do they go? This squad is for that, and then it's always really competitive so that whatever comes in is better than what's currently going out and that's how we are trying to manage that programme,' he said.
As for the Asia Cup, he isn't thinking about the line-up just yet. 'I assume it's going to be Pakistan because if it's anyone lesser, I can't do anything about it. I'm preparing for Pakistan and that's how we're approaching it. The worst thing to do is not prepare and if they arrive, then use the excuse, 'Oh we didn't think they were coming'. '
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
9 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Zak Crawley tries his old tricks again; Shubman Gill smiles, then calls bluff to leave England opener gobsmacked
Mohammed Siraj delivered a searing yorker to knock back Zak Crawley's stumps and end Day 3 with India firmly in control at The Oval. England, chasing 374 for victory, finished the day at 50/1, still 324 runs adrift with two full days left in the Test. While Ben Duckett remained unbeaten on 34, Siraj's late strike ensured that the pressure stayed squarely on the hosts. Zak Crawley deployed similar tactics to the third Test, but Shubman Gill had a more composed reaction this time(X) However, as the final over of Day 3 ticked away, Zak Crawley appeared to employ familiar delay tactics; backing away just as Mohammed Siraj charged in with steam. The moment drew a knowing smirk from Shubman Gill at slip, who chose restraint over reaction this time around. Unlike the heated exchange at Lord's earlier in the series, where Crawley's time-wasting antics had visibly agitated Gill and riled up the Indian camp, this version ended in silence, with Gill wearing only a quiet grin. Watch: Only three balls later, the Indian captain, with Siraj, played a masterstroke. Setting the field nicely for a short-pitch delivery, the pacer played a double bluff, bowling a yorker instead. Crawley was clearly not ready for the ball to pitch fuller, and couldn't adjust in time to bring his bat down. Earlier, Crawley and Duckett began the innings with intent, racing to a 50-run stand. That dramatic end to the day set the tone for what promises to be a tense fourth day as England chase their second-highest target in Test history. Earlier in the day, India posted 396 in their second innings, thanks largely to an electric counterattack from Washington Sundar and a composed fifty from Ravindra Jadeja after Yashasvi Jaiswal and Akash Deep produced a blistering 107-run stand for the third wicket. After Jadeja was caught at second slip for a resolute 53, Sundar lit up The Oval with a whirlwind 53 off just 46 balls, peppering the boundary with clean strikes and sixes, including three maximums that had the crowd roaring. His onslaught, however, was ended by Josh Tongue, who claimed a five-wicket haul after getting Sundar to mistime a flick. Zak Crawley held on to a high catch amid a near-collision with Jamie Smith, bringing the curtains down on India's innings. India had earlier resumed on 189/4 after Lunch, with Shubman Gill falling on the very first delivery to Gus Atkinson. Jaiswal held fort and brought up his century with a well-timed shot through point. His 118 was the cornerstone of India's innings, though his dismissal triggered a wobble. Karun Nair and Gill fell in quick succession, but a brisk stand between Jadeja and Jurel took India past 300 before Tea.
India Today
9 minutes ago
- India Today
3809 runs in 5 matches: Shubman Gill's India set new records in Oval Test
India have carved their name into Test cricket history by hammering an astonishing 470 boundaries, which includes 422 fours and 48 sixes, during the ongoing five-match series against England. Shubman Gill's men achieved the record-breaking feat on Day 3 of the fifth Test at the Kennington Oval in London, setting a new benchmark for the most boundaries by any team in a single Test marks the first time India have crossed the 400-boundary mark in a Test series, shattering their long-standing record of 384 boundaries set back in 1964 — a milestone that had stood unchallenged for 60 years. Further underscoring their dominance, Indian batters notched up 28 scores of fifty or more — the highest number of fifty-plus scores by any team in a Test vs ENG, 5th Test Day 3: Highlights In total, India accumulated 3,809 runs at an average of 42.32 in the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England. This remarkable tally stands as the second-highest team aggregate in Test series history. Australia remain at the summit with 3,877 runs at an average of 57.86 during the iconic 1989 Ashes campaigns continue to feature prominently in the all-time charts, with England's 3,757-run haul in 1928–29 and several high-scoring Australian performances in 1993, 1924–25, and 1970–71 completing the top six. Most runs by a team in a Test series Australia - 3877 runs - 57.86 avg - 6 Tests - The Ashes 1989 in EnglandIndia - 3809 runs - 42.32 avg - 5 Tests - Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 in EnglandEngland - 3757 runs - 43.18 avg - 5 Tests - The Ashes 1928-29 in AustraliaAustralia - 3641 runs - 51.28 avg - 6 Tests - The Ashes 1993 in EnglandAustralia - 3630 runs - 36.30 avg - 5 Tests - The Ashes 1924-25 in AustraliaEngland - 3580 runs - 41.62 avg - 6 Tests - The Ashes 1970-71 in AustraliaIndia in a commanding position India holds the upper hand in the fifth and final Test at The Oval, with England needing 324 runs and just eight wickets in hand at stumps on Day 3. Chris Woakes has been ruled out with a shoulder injury. Yashasvi Jaiswal starred with his sixth Test century, supported by fifties from Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, as India set a daunting 374-run target for the hosts to chase down.- EndsTune InMust Watch
India.com
9 minutes ago
- India.com
Star Indian couple announced separation last month but now trying again to..., they are...
Star Indian couple announced separation last month but now trying again to..., they are... New Delhi: India's badminton star Saina Nehwal recently shared a photo on Instagram, a few days after announcing her separation from her husband Parupalli Kashyap. In this photo, both of them are seen together with the beautiful backdrop of the sea and mountains. Saina wrote in the caption with the photo, 'Sometimes distance teaches the value of presence. We are trying again.' Separation was announced a month ago About a month ago, Saina Nehwal surprised everyone by sharing the news of her separation from husband Kashyap. Both were with each other for the last six years, and they got married in 2018. Saina wrote in the Instagram post: 'Sometimes life takes us on different paths. After a lot of thought, Kashyap and I have decided to separate. We are choosing peace, growth, and healing for each other. Grateful for these memories and wishing you all the best for the future. Please respect our privacy.' Two shining talents of India emerged from Gopichand Academy Saina and Kashyap both have emerged from the Pullela Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad. Saina is seen as the guide of Indian badminton. Apart from winning the bronze medal in the Olympics, she also achieved the number 1 position in the world ranking. View this post on Instagram A post shared by SAINA NEHWAL (@nehwalsaina) Saina's achievements Saina Nehwal was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2009 and the Khel Ratna in 2010. She is the only Indian female shuttler to date who has achieved the world number-1 ranking. Parupalli Kashyap's identity and record Parupalli Kashyap gained nationwide popularity by winning the gold medal in the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Earlier, in 2010, he also won the bronze medal. Kashyap became the first Indian male badminton player to reach the quarterfinals in the 2012 London Olympics.
