Canberra: India men’s assistant coach Abhishek Nayar said Shubman Gill looked very comfortable while batting as per his perspective ahead of two-day pink-ball practice game against Prime Minister’s XI at the Manuka Oval, starting on Saturday.
Gill had missed out on India’s 295-run win in Perth due to a left thumb injury sustained in the match at the WACA Ground. “He is batting right now and our physio will evaluate him and I will know his status after that. But from what I have seen, he is looking comfortable batting and he looks like he can bat (in a match). He is batting in the indoor nets and we will know if he can play the practice match or not,” said Nayar to reporters on the sidelines of India’s practice session.
Asked on the selection headaches India will face, as Gill shows signs of recovery and captain Rohit Sharma is back after paternity leave, Nayar remarked, “It is a sweet headache. It’s always good to be in a position where you get two top players coming back into your setup. It builds a lot of confidence. It is good to have them (Rohit and Gill) back. The team is full of heart.”
He also said Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were able to understand why they weren’t in the playing eleven at Perth. “When you have seniors like Jaddu and Ash, who understand what the team is trying to do, it becomes very easy because of the team-first policy. The culture of this team is that everyone wants ‘Team India’ to win.”
Quizzed about adapting to playing Test cricket with pink-ball, which India last did in March 2022, Nayar talked about how the Indian team is preparing for it. “It was raining, but the good thing is that everyone was keen to play. Even in the rain, everyone batted. Whether it’s a pink ball or a red ball, the difference is really in the mind.”
“Of course, there is a bit of difference between the two – the colour is different, there is more lacquer – and we are lucky that we have got six-eight days to get ready. When we were in Perth, too, we were training with the pink ball. Rohit (Sharma) was training (with the pink ball) too. So we have started our preparations. We will continue to focus on our game, and do what we need to do,” he concluded.
–IANS