Rohan Chowdhury, Birmingham
After a last-day defeat by five wickets in the first Test at Headingley, the Indian cricket team is set to begin their second game at Edgbaston on Wednesday, July 2. On Monday, June 30, both teams had intense practice sessions at the ground—India had the morning session while England trained in the afternoon, a routine-matchday minus-two schedule for home and away teams.
This report focuses primarily on Indian skipper Shubman Gill. After scoring a brilliant 147 in the first innings at Headingley, Gill was dismissed for just eight in the second innings, chopping a Brydon Carse delivery via an inside edge.
The Edgbaston practice began with warm-up drills and lighthearted sessions, followed by fielding drills. Gill took his position at third slip, where he was briefly seen taking a blow to his fingers, though it didn’t appear to be serious.
During the batting nets, divided into three phases—throwdowns, pace, and spin—Gill’s form was a mixed bag. He looked assured during throwdowns from Indian specialists Raghu and Nuwan, playing each short ball with control and dispatching deliveries off his legs and through the off-side with ease.
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However, things shifted in the pace nets, which featured Mohammad Siraj, Akashdeep, Prasidh Krishna, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and a local net bowler. Gill was tested in the corridor of uncertainty, edging and missing several deliveries. Though he remained fluent with his drives and leg-side glances, his discomfort against deliveries in the channel was evident. At one point, he had an intense discussion with Siraj—who had beaten him a few times—and later with batting coach Shitanshu Kotak and head coach Gautam Gambhir.
In the spin nets, set up at the far-right end, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, and a local spinner took turns. Gill looked composed on the back foot, playing a few confident shots. However, his front-foot defence posed challenges. On a few occasions, while attempting to smother the spin, he lost his balance slightly, taking a couple of momentum-driven steps forward.
Two moments stood out—both involving Kuldeep Yadav. In the first, Gill hesitated on whether to go on the front foot or back foot, got a thick edge that ballooned up—potentially a caught-and-bowled chance in a match scenario. In the second, a sharp low delivery from Kuldeep completely beat him, crashing into the middle stump. Kuldeep celebrated in jest, and Gill smilingly picked up the scattered stumps to reset them by himself.
Such incidents are part and parcel of net sessions, meant to fine-tune technique. Gill, known for his work ethic, stayed on despite the scorching sun, batting on until he found his rhythm. Leading India at just 25 is a massive responsibility, and Gill looks ready for the challenge that awaits on Wednesday.
His conversations with Gambhir, Kotak, and teammates like Siraj and Yashasvi Jaiswal may have helped in ironing out those final creases. Gill is in it for the long haul—and come Wednesday, he’ll be looking to lead by example once again.
🚨 #ShubmanGill at the Edgbaston Nets!
Few instances that troubled the Indian skipper at the nets on matchday minus 2. @RohanDC98 from Edgbaston.@HSBC_IN #ENGvsIND #ENGvIND #TeamIndia #EdgbastonTest pic.twitter.com/LUayVPndaX
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) July 1, 2025
Also Read: Locked In: Siraj Finds His Zone Ahead of Crucial Edgbaston Test