In a major boost for the visitors ahead of the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, India skipper Shubman Gill returned to batting at the nets on Sunday after missing the ongoing three-day warm-up match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI.
Gill had suffered an impact injury to his right ring finger while batting during a practice session on Thursday, which forced him to sit out of the lone warm-up fixture at the NCC Ground. In his absence, senior wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul has been leading the side.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had initially ruled the skipper out of the opening day as a precautionary measure, but Gill did not bat on the second day either, with veteran left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja walking out to bat at number four instead.
However, concerns over the Indian captain’s availability for the series opener were largely put to rest on the final day of the practice match, as Gill, 26, was seen taking full part in an extended batting session in the side nets. As per the visuals, Gill was seen facing both seamers and spinners without any visible discomfort.
With the first Test scheduled to begin in Galle on August 15, Gill’s return to active batting provides much-needed relief to the Indian camp, who will be looking to start their away campaign on a winning note. The team will head to Galle following the conclusion of their warm-up game in Colombo.
The second and final Test of the series will be played at the historic Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo from August 23 to 27. Currently at fifth spot on the World Test Championship (WTC) points table, India, who last played Test cricket in June through the one-off game against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh, need a strong outing in the upcoming series against sixth-ranked Sri Lanka to boost their chances of reaching the final.
