Cooling down during the warm-up in Mumbai

If you talk to the locals in Mumbai they’ll tell you it’s the been the coldest January in living memory, but for the England Lions things are just warming up nicely as they prepare for the Duleep Trophy tournament in India.

Traditionally, the Duleep Trophy provides an opportunity for Indian cricketers to put themselves in the shop window for future national selection.

Since 2003 the BCCI has invited one foreign team to take part in the tournament and this winter the England Lions are here trying to become the first visiting side ever to win the trophy.

Having arrived on January 24 the players have spent the last seven days getting used to both the sub-continent conditions and each other.

Whilst the likes of Michael Carberry and Adil Rashid have spent a number of Lions tours rooming together, guys such as Alan Richardson and Steve Kirby are more used to playing against each other than having to a share a billet.

But the familiarity of county cricket combined with some pretty intense training sessions meant it was not long before the lads were gelling nicely and really working well together as a unit.

This process was helped by a team meal, booked for us by our excellent liaison man Sachin Bajaj, who has been taking some time away from his Global Cricket School and the visiting Surrey and Sussex players to look after us during our stay.

The venue was a Lebanese restaurant, overlooking India Gate, and judging by the looks on some of the lads' faces it was definitely the first time they’d ever been asked to eat anything covered in vine leaves.

Looking relieved to have survived the delights of Middle Eastern cuisine the lads were ready for the first warm-up game of the tour against a Mumbai XI at the Cricket Club of India.

The venue for the match is a real throwback to the old days of Bombay. The grounds of the CCI are beautifully kept and the cricket is watched by members who glance up from the financial pages of India’s national newspapers to see what all the noise is about.

It won’t be like this in Baroda where the onlookers will be a lot more vivacious in support of the local team and the temperature on the pitch will have risen considerably as the Lions look to claim a spot in the final.

But, at least the heat of battle might help the locals take the chill out of their bones as India looks forward to spring and the promise of hotter weather to come.