Brisbane: He used to be the cynosure of all eyes at training sessions during his captaincy days and Virat Kohli was once again the centre of attention as he addressed his teammates here Thursday.
After the demoralising 10-wicket defeat in the Adelaide day/night game, the visitors needed a bit of inspiration going into the crucial third Test of the series, and the youngsters in the side couldn’t have got a better mentor than ‘King’ Kohli himself to guide them with his words of wisdom.
The team huddles before the start of the training session has been a constant feature for years now and Kohli used to do a lot of talking during his days in charge.
He did take a back seat once he left captaincy but with skipper Rohit also under immense pressure after four straight defeats, the senior-most player (in terms of Test debut) had to take the initiative ahead of the match starting here Saturday.
With vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah by his side, Kohli was seen speaking animatedly to the group and everyone, including Rohit, listened to him with rapt attention.
Rohit faces both new and semi-new balls in nets
Unlike before the pink ball Test, Rohit looked in far better shape during his net session at the Gabba but question marks remain over whether he would be back to opening the innings or stay put at No. 6, which isn’t his preferred slot.
On the day, while KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal once again faced the new ball at the nets, Rohit took on a slightly older Kookaburra at the beginning. Having faced that for some time, he did change nets with Rahul and also played a brand new red cherry for a while.
The Gabba pitch has a decent grass cover and has always been one of the most traditional Australian wickets with both seam and bounce being on offer. Rohit’s susceptibility has been against the moving deliveries more than bounce, and hence, it would be interesting to see if he takes on the challenge head-on.
After his session, Rohit and head coach Gautam Gambhir were immersed in a lengthy chat and from a distance, it looked like they were discussing technique. Gambhir was seen shaping up for some shadow drives, with Rohit watching him intently.
Akash Deep looks better but will Gambhir drop Harshit?
Akash Deep is believed to be the most consistent bowler in the Indian net session but that is no indicator that he will replace the young Harshit Rana, who was taken to task by Travis Head during the second Test in Adelaide.
After four wickets on Test debut in Perth, Harshit was smashed for 86 in 16 overs but skipper Rohit came firmly to the youngster’s defence.
The burly Harshit can bowl the heavy ball and Gabba, just like the Optus Stadium track, could suit his style of bowling although he has been losing steam in subsequent spells after the opening one.
Akash Deep on the other hand troubled Jaiswal twice, getting the outside edge of his bat, and those were clear catches in the slip cordon. He also got a pat on the back from the skipper.
Akash Deep has more experience of bowling at first-class level but one certainly knows that Gambhir is a man of strong convictions and is also a firm believer in Harshit’s talent.
Also, there is a possibility of strong afternoon thunder showers on the first day and it could be a bit overcast with 60 per cent humidity. A good seam bowling option won’t be bad.
Shami perhaps “not fit” to play Tests for now
Mohammed Shami, whose presence was solicited by one and all, might not join the Indian team if it is entirely left to him. Shami, who has played nine Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 games after his Ranji Trophy comeback, himself “feels” that he is not ready to take the rigours of red-ball cricket right now.
“The swelling seems to come and go. He himself is keen on playing more and more domestic cricket and hence the possibility of him once again playing Vijay Hazare Trophy for Bengal (starting December 21) looks imminent at the moment.
“He can then bowl at least three spells and 10 overs per game,” a BCCI source told PTI on the condition of anonymity.
“Shami is at the business end of his career. What if his knee acts up badly in Australia after a long spell? He will have to field on hard grounds. He missed the last IPL due to ankle surgery.
“This time, he has a hefty Rs 10 crore deal with SRH. You can’t blame him if he wants to preserve himself for white ball format for now,” the source added.
Who will be the lone spinner?
Washington Sundar is the most technically equipped batter, Ravichandran Ashwin is the best spinner in terms of skills, and Ravindra Jadeja is easily the best package as an all-rounder, who can restrict the opposition with dart-board hitting accuracy besides being a very capable middle or lower middle-order batter.
Ashwin bowled well within himself at Adelaide and had Mohammed Siraj not messed up the aerial chance that Head offered off the off-spinner’s bowling when on 64, who knows what his figures would have read.
PTI
