Shubman Gill’s chances of playing in the highly anticipated India-Pakistan match in Ahmedabad would seem to have significantly improved after skipper Rohit Sharma gave his regular opening partner a “99% chance” of making the match.
Gill’s unable to participate in India’s first two World Cup games due to a dengue fever. Actually, on Thursday, two days before the match, he chose to go to Ahmedabad rather than take the train from Chennai to Delhi.
He warmed up on the foot nets with the rest of the Indian team the night before the game and then proceeded to the outdoor nets facility. He took a few strikes to get the activity going before Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, and the team’s throwdown specialists bowled to him. When Dayananda and left-arm slinger Nuwan Seneviratne attempted quick throwdowns, the 24-year-old didn’t seem unduly perturbed by the spinners, but he also didn’t seem to be quick to react.
Gill was worn out after his first workout, which lasted for about forty minutes. Vikram Rathour and Rahul Dravid had to go check on him after he emerged from the net and landed on the pitch holding a bottle of water. A little while later, he tried to bat again against two left-arm orthodox net bowlers, but it felt like he was going very slowly. In order to retrieve balls that he misplayed or forgot to return, he even called for another net bowler to remain behind the stumps. Gill had only five minutes to pack things and go for this second session.
He did show up to the main stadium following his net session, when he practiced slip-catching with fielding coach T. Dilip and looked considerably more flexible. During this drill, coach and close buddy Ishan Kishan even offered him a pat on the back when he made a diving save in his brief debut. Remarkably, the team’s normal opener, Kishan, did not bat in the nets on the eve of the game.
India’s main motivation for wanting Gill’s back in the starting lineup is his triumph over Shaheen Afridi in the team’s most recent match in Colombo. Gill’s plays at the Narendra Modi Stadium for his native Gujarat Titans, has an incredible record. He scored 572 runs from nine games in the most recent IPL season, including two hundreds, three fifties, and an amazing strike-rate of 172.81.
India has two thirds of their league games remaining, so they won’t be rushing him back after this match. It’s anticipated that a decision about his participation will be made closer to the match.
