After losing the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, the Indian team held an intense practice session on Monday at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha ahead of the first match of the five-match T20 series, which begins here on Wednesday. Under floodlights, Indian players sweated it out for nearly three hours, focusing on batting, bowling, and fielding.
Practice was conducted on two pitches—one on either side of the central wicket. Spinners bowled on one pitch, while fast bowlers operated on the other. Shortly before the end of the session, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah bowled with two stumps set up on the spinner’s pitch, with all-rounder Shivam Dube facing him. Later, spinners shifted to the fast bowlers’ pitch to continue their practice.
Wicketkeeper and opening batsman Sanju Samson initially struggled against short-pitched deliveries but later counterattacked the bowlers. Jasprit Bumrah helped left-handed batsman Ishan Kishan with batting practice, and Ishan played cautiously against him. Left-hander Rinku Singh was seen playing lofty shots against spinners Ravi Bishnoi and Varun Chakravarthy, batting with great ease. Against local left-arm pacer Dipesh Parwani, Rinku used his feet effectively, stepping out and hitting several big sh
Captain Suryakumar Yadav joined the session a little late. He practiced sweep shots against spinners but was troubled several times by deliveries aimed at the leg stump. After giving fielders practice with high catches, Suryakumar returned to batting and looked more fluent, displaying his trademark style. He asked Dipesh Parwani to bowl short deliveries so he could practice the upper cut, but was beaten a few times and appeared uncomfortable. However, he did play some good shots against throwdown bowling.
Free-flowing Abhishek
Hardik Pandya, who skipped Sunday’s practice session, trained hard on Monday and bowled alongside Bumrah. Abhishek Sharma played aggressive lofted and pull shots against both Pandya and Bumrah, sending the ball into the stands on several occasions. One cut shot over point off a short ball was particularly eye-catching. The T20 specialist Abhishek looked completely at ease against all bowlers, batting fearlessly and playing his shots effortlessly. After bowling, Bumrah practiced fielding in the outfield and successfully took several high catches, with Ravi Bishnoi also joining him in the drill.
Pandya finds his rhythm
After bowling, Hardik Pandya came in to bat and began against the fast bowlers. He looked uncomfortable on the very first ball—a sharp short delivery that rose above his helmet. He then asked the bowlers to pitch the ball short again. After a couple of uneasy moments, Pandya found his rhythm and began swinging the bat in his usual style. One powerful back-drive narrowly missed Parwani’s head, while a towering shot over midwicket was a delight to watch.