Nov 17, 2024 01:42 PM IST
With the surface expected to offer pace and bouncer, Bumrah and Siraj, the sure-shot starters in India’s XI, hit the tight line and troubled the Indian batters.
Indian pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj tested the Indian batters’s technique and temperament in the match simulation on Day 2 at WACA, Perth. It was a day when the limelight was on the Indian pacers, as they got the chance to get used to the Aussie conditions ahead of their first Test at Optus Stadium in Perth. With the surface expected to offer pace and bouncer, Bumrah and Siraj, the sure-shot starters in India’s XI for the opening Test, hit the tight line and troubled the Indian batters.
The conditions were challenging for the batters, and Bumrah tested Abhimanyu Easwaran and Devdutt Padikkal’s temperament with the new ball. Siraj also bowled with full throttle to regain some confidence after an underwhelming home Test season.
The BCCI posted a video on their social media account of the match simulation where Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir kept a close eye on the players.
Meanwhile, Easwaran, who is in contention to open the innings for India in the opening Test, failed with the bat once again in Australian conditions. While Padikkal and India A skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad were the most impressive batters for their sides.
Young paceman Harshit Rana also bowled some good short balls to trouble the India A batters as he put a case forward to get a place in the XI. Yashasvi Jaiswal also rolled his arm, which can be seen in the video posted by the BCCI, as it won’t be a surprise if Team India goes with one specialist spinner short and uses the opening batter as a part-timer.
Shubman Gill sustains injury
However, India suffered a massive blow on Saturday as star batter Shubman Gill sustained a left thumb fracture which is likely to rule him out of the opening Test starting November 22.
Gill, one of the young heroes of India’s last Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph, is a batting mainstay and in case skipper Rohit Sharma opts out of the first Test, India’s top-order could look very thin.
Gill got hurt while fielding on the second day of the intra-squad match simulation. He was seen in considerable pain and immediately left the field for further scans. His absence will force the Indian team to make some last-minute changes to their strategy completely as he is not only a stable number three batter, but in case of Rohit’s absence, he could be considered for opening the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal.
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