Team India is ready for the net practice at the Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad. Initially the New Zealand arrived amidst tumultuous welcome a couple of days ago in the city. Today the batting trio Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir have arrived at the Shamshabad Airport and fans flocked to have a glimpse of these batsmen. However Sachin said that he shall be missing a good friend V V S Laxman on the field in the dressing room while playing a test. The great Hyderabad batsman announced his retirement, yesterday at the same stadium.

Sachin was last seen in the IPL voluntarily opted out of the recent Sri Lanka tour to be with family for sometime. However the Master Blaster was the first to join the training camp at Bangalore last week. He spent long hours of practice at the stadium in Bangalore.

India will be playing two test series against the visiting Kiwis. The first match begins in Hyderabad next Thursday (23 AUG). Bangalore will host the second Test, beginning on August 31, while the two Twenty20 matches will be played Visakhapatnam (September 8) and Chennai (September 11).

Team India is in a splendid form after a ODI series win against Sri Lanka on their home turfs. (With inputs from internet-AW AarKay)