Subhayan Chakraborty from Centurion
Team India on Sunday marked their first training session ahead of the Boxing Day Test against South Africa at Supersport Park in Centurion. This session witnessed the return of key players, including captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravichandran Ashwin, to Indian colors since their heart-wrenching defeat in the ODI World Cup Final against Australia on November 19. The team aims to make history by securing their first-ever Test series win on South African soil.
Virat Kohli, after arriving in Johannesburg with his family on Sunday morning, joined the training slightly later. In the nets, he took throwdowns from 18 yards, emphasising preparation for the bounce and pace of the Centurion track.
After a batting session exceeding an hour, Kohli engaged in a lengthy discussion with Head Coach Rahul Dravid, focusing on his front-foot press. Even other batters took throwdowns from 18 yards, scrapping the norm of 22 yards to adjust to the pace and bounce.
The training session included warm-ups, slip catching practice and batting in the nets. KL Rahul, set for a fresh start in Test cricket as a wicket-keeper and middle-order batter, showcased his keeping skills in an extended session, before heading to the nets.
The batting drills featured Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal facing deliveries from the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Ravichandran Ashwin. Rohit displayed ominous form while Jaiswal played his natural strokes, incorporating crucial leaves necessary for challenging batting conditions.
KL Rahul’s transition to the middle-order with wicket-keeping responsibilities is a key storyline for the upcoming Test series. After his hour-long batting stint, Rohit Sharma shared insights with younger players, likely imparting knowledge about South African conditions.
Pace bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah showcased remarkable speed, with an eye-catching display of zip and bounce. With Mohammed Shami absent, the onus is on Bumrah and Siraj to shoulder the majority of the workload in the pace department. As the team fine-tunes its skills in preparation for the crucial Test series, the anticipation builds for a historic showdown against South Africa.