Making nets gain
new delhi: Transitioning from the shorter formats to the rigours of red-ball cricket takes time, and India captain Shubman Gill spent close to an hour and a half at the nets, fine-tuning his technique ahead of the opening Test against South Africa, starting here on Friday.
The Proteas arrive high on confidence, having fought out a hard-earned 1-1 draw in Pakistan last month under challenging conditions.
Gill, who struck a fifty and an unbeaten century in the two home Tests against the West Indies that India swept last month, has been searching for runs in white-ball cricket. He managed just one score above fifty -- a 46 at Carrara Oval -- from eight innings across the ODIs and T20Is in Australia.
Back to leading the Test side, Gill batted with determination, keen to regain rhythm after a lean white-ball run.
Before the nets, head coach Gautam Gambhir and assistant coach Sitanshu Kotak were seen having a long chat with him near the High Court end, possibly discussing his approach.
Gill later joined his teammates for slip-fielding drills before padding up alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal for an intense net session. Starting with spin, he faced Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, playing mostly on the ground with occasional sweeps. Moving to the pace nets, he faced Jasprit Bumrah for a few overs before Nitish Kumar Reddy and a few local club bowlers tested him with seam movement.
A support staff member then used a sidearm to deliver throwdowns from height, giving Gill extra bounce and pace.
After more than an hour in the side nets, he shifted to the central strip for another 30 minutes of throwdowns under the watchful eye of bowling coach Morne Morkel, who himself rolled his arm over generating sharp pace and bounce.
Fresh from scores of 67 and 156 for Rajasthan in the Ranji Trophy, Jaiswal also had a long stint at the central wicket, facing Morkel and throwdowns. The left-hander looked in fluent touch, driving and pulling with assurance.
Another batter to spend significant time at the nets was Sai Sudharsan, the Tamil Nadu youngster who managed just 84 runs in two unofficial Tests for India A against South Africa A.
The team management continues to back him for the No. 3 slot, though he is yet to make it his own, with only a 61 against England in Manchester and 87 versus West Indies at home to show in Tests so far. His India A teammates -- KL Rahul, Jurel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj -- skipped the optional practice joining the squad only a day earlier after a demanding A series in Bengaluru that concluded on Sunday.
