Tuesday, 11 November 2025
Tuesday, 11 November 2025
Transitioning from the shorter formats to the demands of red-ball cricket requires time and patience, and India captain Shubman Gill spent nearly an hour and a half at the nets on Tuesday, working meticulously on his technique ahead of the first Test against South Africa, beginning here on Friday.
The Proteas arrive with renewed confidence after battling to a hard-fought 1-1 draw in Pakistan last month under testing conditions.
Gill, who scored a fifty and an unbeaten century in the two home Tests against the West Indies that India swept last month, has been short of runs in white-ball cricket. During the limited-overs leg in Australia, he managed just one score above fifty — a 46 at Carrara Oval — across eight innings in ODIs and T20Is.
Back as Test captain, Gill batted with purpose, looking to regain rhythm and confidence after a lean white-ball phase. Before the nets, head coach Gautam Gambhir and assistant coach Sitanshu Kotak were seen in an extended discussion with him near the High Court end, seemingly talking through his approach.
Gill later joined his teammates for slip-catching practice before padding up alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal for an intense batting session.
Starting against spin, Gill faced Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, keeping his strokes grounded with the occasional sweep. Moving on to the pace nets, he took on Jasprit Bumrah for a few overs before local pacers and Nitish Kumar Reddy tested him with seam movement.
A support staff member then used a sidearm to provide throwdowns from height, creating extra bounce and pace. After over an hour in the side nets, Gill moved to the central wicket for another half hour of throwdowns, closely watched by bowling coach Morne Morkel, who himself bowled a few deliveries with lively pace and bounce.
Jaiswal, fresh from scores of 67 and 156 for Rajasthan in the Ranji Trophy, also had a long hit in the middle, confidently driving and pulling during his session with Morkel and the throwdown specialist.
Spotlight on Sai and No. 3
Among batters, Sai Sudharsan also spent significant time at the nets. The Tamil Nadu left-hander, who made just 84 runs in two unofficial Tests for India A against South Africa A, continues to receive backing from the team management for the crucial No. 3 slot. So far, he has two notable Test scores — 61 against England in Manchester and 87 versus the West Indies at home — but is yet to cement his place.
While his India A teammates — KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Mohammed Siraj — skipped the optional session after a demanding A series in Bengaluru, Sai showed full intensity at the nets, facing both pacers and spinners.
The No. 3 position remains a point of debate, particularly with Dhruv Jurel in excellent form. There is also speculation that Jurel could play as a pure batter, with Rishabh Pant expected to resume wicketkeeping duties following his recovery from injury.
Jurel, who averages 47.77 in Tests and scored his maiden ton against the West Indies, has been in superb first-class touch — with three centuries in his last five matches, including twin tons in the second game against South Africa A.
Bumrah’s light workload
Among the pacers, only Jasprit Bumrah turned up, keeping his session light with spot bowling to two stumps for around 15 minutes, targeting the off stump. In a relaxed mood, he also batted briefly and interacted with teammates.
Bumrah had light strapping on his right knee but bowled under the supervision of Gambhir and Morkel.
Focus on the pitch
After nearly three hours of training, the team’s think tank — Gambhir, Kotak, Morkel, and Gill — gathered at the centre wicket for a lengthy pitch inspection. Morkel and Gill checked the surface firmness before calling in curator Sujan Mukherjee for a 15-minute discussion. Judging by their expressions, the group did not appear fully satisfied with the surface.
The pitch appeared brown with light grass patches. In the two Ranji matches held here earlier this season, pacers Akash Deep and Mohammed Shami struggled initially before Shami’s reverse swing came into play later in the day.
CAB president Sourav Ganguly has already clarified that no request for a “rank turner” has been made by the team management.
Balanced Proteas attack
South Africa arrive with a balanced lineup of pace and spin. If Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen lead the seam attack, their spin trio of Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer, and Senuran Muthusamy has been in fine form.
In Pakistan, Harmer (13), Muthusamy (11), and Maharaj (9) shared 33 wickets across two Tests, with Muthusamy — who also scored 106 runs — earning Player of the Series honours.
