Inside India nets in Colombo: Intent, big sixes and footwork, Shubman Gill's plan against spin

Shubman Gill walks out to bat at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Colombo. (Photo Courtesy: Sahil Malhotra)

TimesofIndia.com in Colombo: Team India captain Shubman Gill stepped out off the 28th delivery he faced in Galle and followed it up with an early sweep in the second innings. While the connection wasn’t ideal when he looked to go downtown against Prabath Jayasuriya, he misjudged the length a bit while attempting a sweep off the stumps against the same bowler. Not the kind of start he would have liked to the tour, but the twin failures in the series opener haven’t triggered any panic and Gill is sticking to the plan.During his first hit at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, Gill was in the mood and was severe against the trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Manav Suthar and Saransh Jain. The right-hander kept stepping out of the crease and launched plenty into the stands. The shouts of “watch, watch the ball” became constant, and Gill didn’t deviate from the plan. Even when the length wasn’t ideal for going all out, he would squeeze in a defensive push, but he remained on the charge and grew in confidence as the session progressed.The footwork was far more assured and the connection became sweeter. There were no ugly hoicks or slog sweeps, but proper cricketing shots: inside-out over covers, over the bowler’s head and over long-on against off-spin. While he went deep into his crease navigating the two left-armers, there was no downshift against Saransh, who saw plenty of deliveries go the distance.

Shubman Gill bats at the nets ahead of the second Test against Sri Lanka. (Photo Courtesy: Sahil Malhotra)

Gill’s message and method were clear from his marathon hit: he will take the spinners on and there will be a sense of urgency in the middle overs against the likes of Jayasuriya and Keshara Nuwantha. It helped that Gill had Pant as his batting partner in the nets, and one would hope that the moment they are reunited in the middle in Colombo, the approach remains the same.

India spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule didn’t read much into the approach, saying the Indian captain is sticking to his plan and method of adapting.“With Gill, the flow of runs will always be there. This is just his way of adapting and finding the best methods to play, defend and more importantly adapt. So he has his own methods of adapting and is sticking to that,” said Bahutule.Kuldeep Yadav and KL Rahul were notable absentees; they did not attend the practice session. In Kuldeep’s absence, Saransh bowled a long spell and there is a lot of chatter regarding his inclusion in the second Test, especially after Sri Lanka’s decision to add left-handers to the squad.

Kuldeep Yadav

The chinaman picked just one wicket in the two innings, but he largely remained and operated as the team’s third spinner, with Jadeja and Suthar doing the bulk of the bowling and taking the majority of the wickets. India will have to make the tough call between prioritising experience and craft or opting for the match-up battle, which currently favours Saransh.

Kuldeep Yadav was making an effort to change trajectory as per session requirements. So one match can’t change a lot of things, and it’s challenging for a wrist spinner to bowl with the old ball.

Sairaj Bahutule | India spin bowling coach

Bahutule said they will finalise the combination after one final look at the pitch and asserted that Kuldeep continues to enjoy the backing.“Kuldeep Yadav has been bowling well, played a different role in Galle and was trying to adapt. He was making an effort to change trajectory as per session requirements. So one match can’t change a lot of things, and it’s challenging for a wrist spinner to bowl with the old ball. Not much for the finger spinners, but harder for wrist spinners,” added Bahutule.Apart from the third spinner, the Playing XI for Colombo is unlikely to spring a major surprise if there are no last-minute fitness concerns. India registered a convincing win in Galle and will want to carry forward the momentum from that fixture.The batters have been in good touch and if Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal return to scoring ways, life will be difficult for the hosts, who are missing three first-choice players due to injury. There is another net session to apply finishing touches, but considering the heat and humidity levels, it will largely remain an optional one, with players likely to opt for more rest over training. The plan will be to keep the bowlers fresh, and Morne Morkel did his bit by putting on his bowling shoes when Pant and Gill switched nets to face fast bowlers, side-armers and some net bowlers.Just like the win in Galle, India ticked most preparatory boxes in the first hit in Colombo and seem ready for the challenge.