Subhayan Chakraborty from New Delhi
As the Indian cricket team geared up for their second World Cup match against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, their net session on the eve of the clash provided curious moments, featuring struggle, entertainment and determination.
The batting session commenced with Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer and Ravindra Jadeja taking centre stage, followed by the arrival of captain Rohit Sharma. However, it was a rollercoaster session, especially for young opener Ishan.
He found himself facing a barrage of challenges from the net bowlers, including leg-spinners and pacers. The turbulent ride began when one of the pacers sent his stumps cart-wheeling. Another pacer induced an inside edge that crashed onto the stumps. After 15 minutes of struggle, Ishan engaged in a discussion with head coach Rahul Dravid.
However, Ishan’s woes continued. The same pacer who had dismissed him cleaned up Rohit, peppering him with deliveries hitting the pad. Ishan returned after a while but continued to struggle for touch, edging another one. This prompted him to switch to the net for throw-downs. Even there, he was not fluent against the spinners. Despite a few well-timed shots, it was largely an underwhelming session for him.
Suryakumar Yadav was the standout performer in the nets. Facing local spinners and engaging in throw-downs with batting coach Vikram Rathour, he entertained the crowd, particularly around 100 enthusiastic academy kids. His flicks, sweeps, and the trademark ‘Supla’ shots left them in awe.
The highlight of the session was Suryakumar’s battle with Rathour, who delivered fastish throw-downs. Both relished the contest, with Suryakumar exploring scoops and sharing laughs after executing them to perfection. Rathour, too, had his moments, beating Suryakumar on a few occasions. After the session, the player was hounded for selfies.
The Men in Blue face Afghanistan on Wednesday (October 11). Afghanistan’s performance in the defeat against Bangladesh showed that they have work to do in batting, in order to last 50 overs and put up at least a competitive total on the board. In 2019, India had secured a narrow 11-run victory against them, thanks to Mohammed Shami’s hat-trick.
With the pitch expected to favour batters, fans can expect a high-scoring contest, especially if India bat first. Dew could play a role, favouring the team batting second. The toss will be crucial.
Still without Shubman Gill, India will aim to build on their win against Australia. Full points against Afghanistan will set them up nicely for the match against Pakistan on October 14.