On the eve of the second T20 International against South Africa, Team India held a training session in a packed Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. Looking at the crowd in the pictures, one would think that they are from the practice session before the toss on match day, but such was the excitement in Cuttack that people swarmed in just for the training session. International cricket is returning to the Barabati Stadium on Sunday after 2019, when India took West Indies on in an ODI.

Sharing pictures from the training session on social media, the official handle of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wrote: “Match day feels on a non-match day. A packed stadium here in Cuttack to watch #TeamIndia train.”

Match day feels on a non-match day.

A packed stadium here in Cuttack to watch #TeamIndia train. #INDvSA | @Paytm pic.twitter.com/lLYwx06Jk3

— BCCI (@BCCI) June 11, 2022

The BCCI shared pictures of Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Shreyas Iyer and Umran Malik from their training session, with the stands filled up behind them.

India head into the second T20I having lost the series opener, after South Africa chased down 212 with seven wickets to spare.

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Ishan Kishan hit 76 off 48 deliveries, and was well supported by knocks from Hardik Pandya (31 off 12), Rishabh Pant (29 off 16) and Shreyas Iyer (36 off 27) as India posted a total of 211/4. Opener Ruturaj Gaikwad also chipped in with 23 off 15.

However, David Miller (64 off 31) and Rassie van der Dussen (75 off 46) played absolute blinders to help South Africa pull off a massive run chase.