Kolkata: Staying true to batters’ quirks and routines during net sessions, India’s Sai Sudharsan and Dhruv Jurel on Monday faced spinners while wearing only one pad to
counter the turning deliveries, a method that comes with an element of risk.
As is the case with most unorthodox practices, there was a method to the madness during this nearly three-hour optional session at the Eden Gardens.
For left-hander Sudharsan, the decision to remove his right pad was aimed at ensuring a big front-foot stride without any protection on that leg.
Sudharsan did not play the Eden Test, and there is no guarantee he will get a start in Guwahati either. Batting against left-arm spinners and off-spinners without a front pad meant he had to be especially cautious about avoiding blows on the shin bone or any exposed area that could lead to a fracture.
This is a very old-school training method, where coaches insist batters use their bat more than their front pad to block the deliveries.
With pads on, batters tend to fall back on conditioned reflexes, bringing the front pad across as the first line of defence and often ending up in front-foot leg-before positions.
Removing the front pad in nets forces the batter to rely on the bat instead.
Another reason behind this drill is the current tendency among Indian left-handers to go on the back foot, as they struggle to read spinners from the hand and try to play with the turn. The practice encourages batters to step out of the crease and smother the spin.
Similarly, Jurel was also seen without his right pad as he worked on the reverse sweep on one of the centre strips.
For a right-hander, the execution of the stroke demands a big stride forward with the right leg. This again is an exercise designed to ensure correct movement while minimising the risk of injury. During the optional session, head coach Gautam Gambhir kept a close watch on Sudharsan, one of the contenders to replace Shubman Gill, who may have to sit out the second Test due to neck spasm.
The youngster did not look entirely confident against the pacers, as Akash Deep found his outside edge multiple times and even the net bowlers troubled him with movement.
Gambhir and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak spoke to him at length during several breaks.
It was a bit surprising that only six players turned up for the optional session, including senior-most member Ravindra Jadeja, who batted the longest.