India’s 3 Asia Cup Stars Skip 1st Practice Session For West Indies Tests | Cricket News

Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel took a break as the rest of the Indian team resumed training less than two days after their significant Asia Cup victory. They prepared for the first of the two Tests against the West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Tuesday.

The squad, including captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir, arrived late Monday night and trained for nearly three hours on Tuesday.

Given the quick turnaround from the Asia Cup’s conclusion on Sunday to the upcoming World Test Championship series starting Thursday, India must manage player workloads effectively.

After some light warm-up and catching exercises, players moved to the nets. Batters had extended sessions while pace bowlers worked hard. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, who recently played in the four-day unofficial Test against Australia A, bowled for nearly 45 minutes as the weather improved.

Both right-arm pacers were in good rhythm, generating pace and bounce on the practice wicket nets despite earlier rain.

Gambhir assessed the pitch upon arrival and took another look after training.

Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul appeared in excellent form, as did wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, who led India A in the second unofficial Test. Middle-order batters B Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal also looked in good rhythm, though Gill faced some challenges from India pacers and the throwdown specialist.

Gill experienced some hits and misses, with outside edges troubling him as he defended forward. A rising delivery once hit his gloves at chest height. Nevertheless, Gill continued to change nets and face different combinations of pace, spin, and throwdowns, preparing to lead India in his first home Test as full-time captain.

This will be Gill’s first home assignment in the World Test Championship, where his new Indian Test side impressed everyone with their determination and skills in England, drawing the series 2-2.

Who will get the nod as extra batter?

With the top four slots fixed, the team management must choose between Nitish Reddy and Padikkal for the extra batter position. Padikkal performed well in the nets after his 150 in the first unofficial Test against Australia A, while Reddy showed good rhythm, especially when bowling alongside Siraj and Prasidh.

Reddy’s inclusion would provide a third seam bowling option, a choice the team management might consider before the match begins. These two are likely to be part of the selection debate for the playing eleven, as the rest of the line-up seems set with Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep, Siraj, and Bumrah.

Kuldeep, who took a match-winning four-for in the Asia Cup final, could pose a significant challenge to the inexperienced West Indies line-up in Indian conditions.

Earlier, the West Indies trained in the indoor nets for about half an hour due to a spell of rain.