CHENNAI: A lot happened for the India Nets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday, from the absence of Rinku Singh (who has gone home to be with his ailing father) to Suryakumar Yadav’s two-hour range session.
Push boundaries with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!
However, that’s not all. While Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan were batting in two adjacent nets, India’s top star Abhishek Sharma opted to bowl left-arm spin.
Batsmen came and went, but Abhishek stood by the nets, talking to the spinners and trying to understand the possible turns on the black earth pitch that will be used against Zimbabwe on Thursday.
Finally, after nearly 100 minutes of practice, Abhishek picked up the bat. He did not feature any of the spin bowlers or walk bowlers in the Indian team and was only a practice bowler.
Abhishek has been in poor form with the bat after allowing three ducks to start the match. Of the 15 goals he scored in Ahmedabad, he had seven fake shots.
Judging from the current situation of the team, the possibility of him being laid off is very small. Maybe what the team management wants to do is get him to bowl some not-so-good bowling so that Abhishek can connect with his shots and regain some form and confidence. As the nets folded, Abhishek batted for half an hour and did catch the ball, hitting one of those crisp shots for which he is famous.
Some balls landed in the Chepauk stand as he tried to improve his game against off-spin, which has been troubling him of late.
128769672
advertise
Rinku Unlikely, maybe it’s Sanju time? Sundar may be absent
As Rinku’s absence was noted and news broke that he had returned home to be with his father, who is battling cancer, the left-hander’s possible replacements came into focus.
Axar Patel should be in the team given his versatility with bat and ball. In this case, if Sanju has to play, the only player who might miss is Washington Sundar. Washington was selected to play in South Africa but his performances with ball and bat were not impressive. Sanju’s inclusion could also mean Ishan Kishan is placed at No. 3, a position he is no stranger to. This could force the likes of Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav down the rankings.
Surya is practicing his long range shots
Surya’s shooting percentage is not amazing. Against South Africa, he scored 18 off 22 balls to defeat India. Tuesday’s practice showed he’s working on fine-tuning his hitting range. He was bowled many times by the Indian frontline spinners in the nets, but that didn’t stop him from continuing to shoot. It’s clear that ‘Sky’ is trying to come out of his shell and Zimbabwe’s bowling in the batting friendly could provide him with an opportunity.
