Long nets for Shubman Gill hints at a recall for Indore Test | Cricket - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Long nets for Shubman Gill hints at a recall for Indore Test

By, Indore
Feb 27, 2023 09:25 PM IST

KL Rahul’s poor run has increased the clamour for the Indian team management to pick young Shubman Gill as skipper Rohit Sharma’s opening partner for the third Test

At the Holkar Stadium on Monday, India’s afternoon training session suddenly piqued greater interest under the beaming sun. The reason? Shubman Gill and KL Rahul had taken to the nets at exactly the same time. It was perhaps a coincidence, but it sets the stage for a selection face-off ahead of the third Test in Indore starting on Wednesday. With the hosts on pole position in this series after winning the first two Tests, the only selection dilemma for them is regarding skipper Rohit Sharma’s opening partner.

Indian cricketers Shubman Gill and KL Rahul during a practice session ahead of the 3rd test cricket match between India and Australia, at Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore.(PTI)
Indian cricketers Shubman Gill and KL Rahul during a practice session ahead of the 3rd test cricket match between India and Australia, at Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore.(PTI)

Rahul’s prolonged run of paltry scores has resulted in a clamour for the young and in-form Gill to be rewarded with an opportunity. While the Indian team management persisted with Rahul in the first two Tests, the selectors taking away the vice-captaincy from him suggests that Gill could add to his 13 appearances. Gill was the first of the Indian players to have a hit, striding to the nets to face the team’s throwdown specialists even as the others were engaged in their warm-up routines and fielding practice.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

When Rahul took guard for the first time an hour into India’s session, Gill duly returned for a second stint in the adjacent net. Gill began by facing the likes of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja predominantly. While Jadeja, in particular, was finding some sharp turn from the practice pitch, Gill didn’t hesitate to step out and go for the big shots from time to time.

Rahul started his stint by facing the pace of Mohammed Shami and a bunch of young bowlers on net duty. After 20-odd minutes, they switched nets. Rahul was now countering the spin of Ashwin and Jadeja while Gill was getting his feet moving against the quick bowlers. Coach Rahul Dravid kept a keen eye on proceedings almost all the way through, and is likely to have made his mind up on the selection conundrum.

Starc operates at full tilt

For supporters of the Australia team, there haven’t been many comforting visuals from the tour of India so far. But the sight of Mitchell Starc operating full steam at Australia’s training session on Monday will please them. He bowled for more than an hour with no visible sign of discomfort from a finger injury that has kept him out of action since December.

Starc beat Cameron Green’s outside edge on a few occasions. Having begun with a new ball, he switched to an older ball and an around-the-wicket angle to polish his reverse-swinging skills. With skipper Pat Cummins returning home to be with his ailing mother, Starc is all but certain to play in Indore. All-rounder Green – he too missed the first two Tests due to a finger injury – also had a long session on Monday. He can lend a supporting hand to Starc in the pace department.

“Yeah, I’m right to go,” Starc told the Australian media contingent. “There’s going to be a level of discomfort for a while. I don’t think it's going to be 100%, but it’s good enough. The ball is coming out quite nicely. It won’t be the first Test that I will play with some sort of discomfort. If I only played when I was 100%, I wouldn’t have played more than 5-10 Tests.”

Stepping out, playing straight

After six of the Australia batters fell to the sweep or reverse sweep in the second innings of the Delhi Test, the visitors seem to have done some introspection. That was the sense one got from Australia’s four-hour training session. Barring Usman Khawaja and Alex Carey, who are natural sweepers of the ball, the Australian batters mostly stuck to playing straight.

Notably, there was greater willingness to use their feet and step down the track, which we rarely witnessed during their collapse in Delhi. Though Steve Smith hasn’t been able to get going in this series, the ability to read length and use the depth of the crease are his strengths. Leading the team in the absence of Cummins, he will hope to show the way to the other Australian batters.

Executing their plans in the heat of the battle, of course, is a different ball game. When put under pressure by the Indian spinners, can the Australians still step out of the crease and play down the ground? That may hold the key to the outcome of the Indore Test.

Stay updated with the latest Cricket News, IPL Live Scores, and get exclusive insights with the RCB vs KKR Live Score, IPL 2024 Schedule, match highlights, and more. Explore a comprehensive Cricket Schedule, track the race for the Purple Cap and Orange Cap in IPL 2024, check Virat Kohli performance and stay ahead with all the cricket-related updates on the Hindustan Times website and app.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    author-default-90x90

    Vivek Krishnan is a sports journalist who enjoys covering cricket and football among other disciplines. He wanted to be a cricketer himself but has gladly settled for watching and writing on different sports.

SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On