Colombo: Shubman Gill returned to the nets on the final day of India’s warm-up game against Sri Lanka Cricket XI at the NCC ground in Colombo on Sunday (August 9), but his fitness remains under close watch ahead of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka from August 15 in Galle.
India decided to declare their innings on their overnight score of 357 before the start of play, with the spotlight firmly on their captain as the team took the field.
Before the start of play, the Indian captain was seen having a discussion with Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav. Gill then returned to the dugout before coming out with his cricket kit and heading straight towards the nets.
Importantly, India’s entire coaching unit supervised Gill’s training session and kept a close eye on his progression. Head coach Gautam Gambhir was in the nets along with spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule and bowling coach Morne Morkel. The Indian team’s batting coach Sithanshu Kotak was also seen closely monitoring Gill and giving him inputs while he faced the spinners.
The notable aspect was the taping on Gill’s right hand, which had sustained an impact injury during India’s practice session ahead of the warm-up game. Gill did not face any throwdowns during the session. Instead, the Indian team opted to have him face only spin bowling, seemingly to avoid putting additional load on his injured right hand.
Gill initially wore his batting gloves over the taped area before beginning his session against India’s spin bowlers. However, after some time, he appeared to feel discomfort and walked out of the nets. Gill then removed the taping from his hand before returning to the nets to continue his batting session.
The Indian captain subsequently faced leg-spinner Vipraj Nigam, left-arm spinner Shivang Kumar, and off-spinner Tanush Kotian. All three are not part of India’s Test squad but have traveled with the team as net bowlers.
Gill was particularly keen to test himself against different lengths. He was seen asking the spinners to bowl deliveries in different areas, seemingly to assess how his right hand was responding while batting and to get a feel for the conditions ahead of the Test series.
The decision to use only spinners was significant, with the Indian management seemingly keen to give Gill batting time without exposing his injured hand to the additional impact that can come from repeated throwdowns.
Gill eventually spent one hour and 15 minutes in the nets, which is an encouraging sign. The extended session appeared to be less about conventional batting practice and more about testing whether he was experiencing any discomfort in his right hand while playing different types of deliveries.
The fact that Gill continued for an extended period after initially feeling discomfort suggests that the Indian team wanted to assess his hand properly before taking any decision on his participation.
Shubman Gill Unlikely To Field On Final Day
However, it is unlikely that Gill will take the field for the final day of the warm-up game. Having already spent more than an hour batting in the nets, the Indian management appears to be prioritizing his recovery rather than exposing him to another stint on the field.
Gill had sustained an impact injury to his right ring finger during India’s practice session on Thursday. He was subsequently ruled out of the first day of the warm-up game as a precautionary measure, with KL Rahul taking over as captain. His return to the nets is certainly a positive development, but the fitness test is far from over.
The Indian team will want to be absolutely certain that Gill is comfortable with his right hand before clearing him to play the series opener.
For now, Gill’s extended net session provides India with some encouragement. But the real test will come when the medical team assesses his hand and determines whether he is fit to bat and field at Test-match intensity.