“You are saying it was 39.5 degrees this afternoon? It felt like 49.5 degrees,” a tongue-in-cheek Aussie skipper Ponting retorted after a mild 90-minute practice session at Eden.

“It felt really warm out there today, which is why we had to keep the practice session light. Add to that the jet lag factor, and that many of us were getting dehydrated. We were sweating hard. I guess I have to ask coach (Buchanan) that we mustn’t try too hard,” said the Australian skipper, as he winked at the no-nonsense coach Buchanan.

On the opening day’s camp this afternoon, giving Ponting company was the former World Cup winning Australian coach John Buchanan, and a spate of players from the Bengal cricket team. The players were escorted to the Eden Gardens under a heavy security cover at 3.30pm, while scores of cricket enthusiasts braved the sweltering sun to catch a glimpse of the star players.

In the one and a half hours of practice, the players were clearly seen to be struggling in the oppressive heat, aggravated by the pitch-black practice outfit for the players. It is clear that Shah Rukh Khan’s much-hyped Day I of the Kolkata camp hasn’t quite gone down well with the players.

The organisers better redo the practice schedule before casualties start showing up, as the team is slated to train at the Eden in the afternoon sun over the next four days.

Many of the big names of Knight Rider were missing today. The captain Sourav Ganguly is playing the Kanpur Test Match, while Shoaib Akhtar’s future in IPL is doubtful. Shah Rukh’s most expensive catch Chris Gayle is on national duty playing against Sri Lanka and Ajit Agarkar is yet to join.