With two cricketing giants in India and Australia preparing for their respective series/match in the UK, reports of one facing the rejection of training at a venue at the ‘other’s expense’ have surfaced lately. Australia, the 2025 WTC finalist, was reportedly denied permission to train at the Lord’s Cricket Stadium this past Saturday (June 7), three days before the final at the very venue against South Africa, only because the Indian Team had occupied the training facility, leaving their captain Pat Cummins fuming over it.

Per several reports emerging from Down Under, the Indian Team trained at the venue upon landing in England for their marquee five-match Test series starting June 20 in Leeds, while the Aussies, who were earlier training in Beckenham, were denied permission to resume practice at the venue where they are playing the final at.

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As reported by Code Sports, the Shubman Gill-led Indian Test team trained on the day (Saturday) at Lord’s, while the authorities there informed WTC finalists that the training facility remains ‘unavailable’ for them, forcing them to make a three-hour trip to find an appropriate training venue.

Even though the newly-named Tendulkar-Anderson series will not get underway even five days after the final day of the 2025 WTC Final, and India and England face off at the venue (in the third Test) on July 20, the Australians were asked to look out for options elsewhere.

Meanwhile, on Sunday (June 8), the BCCI uploaded a video on its social media handles showing Gill-led India beginning indoor training before moving outdoors and doing run-ups and playing football. The squad gelled well together in the training before hitting the nets.

Cummins taunts Lord’s crowd

Considering what unfolded the last time when Australia played a Test at Lord’s (between Alex Carey and Jonny Bairstow), Cummins taunted the crowd here, saying,

“I think this is the best version of the stadium this morning. There’s no one around, which is great. I’m sure it will be much more civil this time around. Things got pretty heated in the middle of that Ashes series, but I think a lot of them will have learned their lesson, and I’m sure they’ll be very polite.”

Australia and South Africa will face off in the third WTC Final at the mecca of cricket at Lord’s. While the Proteas have entered their first WTC Final, the Aussies are the defending champions, having beaten India last time.