Shubman Gill sustains hand blows during training ahead of World Test Championship campaign
Gill’s Training Incidents Raise Concerns
India Test captain Shubman Gill experienced an injury scare during a training session in Colombo, raising questions about his fitness as the team prepares for its World Test Championship campaign in Sri Lanka. The incidents occurred just before India’s three-day warm-up match against a Sri Lanka XI.
During a net session, Gill was struck on his right thumb by a delivery from pacer Gurnoor Brar. Following this, the team physio attended to him, strapping his thumb. Despite the setback, Gill continued batting and later faced spinners as part of his preparations.
Later in the same training session, Gill was hit again on the same hand during a slip-catching drill when he failed to cleanly gather a chance. He briefly stepped away to apply an ice pack. Initial medical assessments, however, indicated that there was no fracture or serious damage, allowing him to complete the session without significant discomfort.
Preparation for World Test Championship
The training session took place at Nondescripts Cricket Club (NCC), where India conducted a three-hour practice. The focus of the session was on countering spin, with players like KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal also batting against spinners such as Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Saransh Jain, and Manav Suthar.
Gill’s fitness is considered crucial for India’s upcoming 2025-27 World Test Championship campaign in Sri Lanka. He arrives in Sri Lanka in strong form, having accumulated 1,109 runs, including six centuries, in his last 10 Tests. This will be his first red-ball outing in Sri Lanka, making the warm-up fixture important for his adjustment to local conditions before the opening Test on August 15.
Other players also participated in various drills during the practice session. KL Rahul worked on his sweep shots with assistance from head coach Gautam Gambhir and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak. Dhruv Jurel and Rishabh Pant began with throwdowns before facing spinners, with Pant striking several big shots. Jurel had the longest batting session among all batters.
Fielding coach Shubhadeep Ghosh led close-in fielding drills, involving players such as Gill, Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, and Jaiswal. The intensity of the session remained high, and the team atmosphere appeared relaxed ahead of the practice game.
Team Dynamics and Final Preparations
The practice session saw a change in sequence compared to the previous day, with players focusing on spin early on. Kuldeep Yadav bowled to KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, while Saransh Jain also posed a threat to the left-hander. Rahul batted fluently against the spinners, utilizing the depth of the crease and employing square cuts and back-foot punches.
After batting against fast bowlers for approximately 30-40 minutes, Gill switched to facing spinners alongside Devdutt Padikkal. In this session, Gill focused on his defense. Padikkal’s footwork also showed improvement from the first day’s session.
The fast bowlers, including Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, and Auqib Nabi, bowled for about 45 minutes before taking their turn with the bat. Prasidh Krishna, similar to Kuldeep Yadav on the first day, participated in warm-ups, fielding drills, and had a batting stint but did not bowl during the second practice session.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir was actively involved, engaging in conversations with players between sessions. The final practice session concluded ahead of the three-day warm-up match against the SLC XI, with the squad for this match having been announced earlier in the day.
Source: m.rediff.com
