Racing against time to get fit for the first Test against South Africa, India's premier off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Saturday had a short fitness workout at Brabourne Stadium.
Ashwin made a surprise visit to the stadium where a two-day game between Board President's XI and the visiting South African team was in progress.
As South Africa's ODI captain A B de Villiers was batting in the middle in the pre-lunch session, Ashwin was seen undergoing a short stint of running, bending and throwing balls rolled to him by team’s physio Patrick Farhart.
Australia's Farhart is with the Board President's XI in the same capacity here and his session with Ashwin lasted not more than half an hour beyond the boundary line at one corner of the stadium near the Cricket Club of India's clubhouse.
Then the lanky off spinner, India's No.1 slow bowler, left the ground. He is now scheduled to join up with the rest of the Indian Test squad members at Mohali.
He has been included in the squad for the first two Tests by the selectors and two days ago announced in his home town, Chennai, that he was close to regain full fitness.