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As the scorching Lucknow sun beat down upon the ground, the Indian cricket team was engrossed in intense training, sharpening their skills two days before their crucial World Cup encounter with England on October 27, Friday. One of the standouts in the training session was Shubman Gill, whose dedication to perfecting his short ball play to counter England's bowlers' tearaway pace was palpable.
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Despite boasting five centuries this year, Gill's World Cup performance has not matched the expectations he has set for himself after his stunning run in the ODIs, where he accumulated a whopping 1,325 runs in 2023. Although his technique and style have been on point, the conversion into big scores has been elusive. Having missed the initial World Cup matches due to a dengue fever, Gill notched the scores of 26, 53, and 16 in the subsequent games signify his hunger but also the missed opportunities.
Notably, England’s Mark Wood had troubled several batters with his short-pitched bowling and just like Kiwis’ Lockie Ferguson, Mark Wood also has brutal pace. Gill's dismissal against New Zealand in Dharamsala, slashing at a short, wide delivery, could be a point of introspection. But for Gill, short balls are not a deterrent, infact they're a challenge he cherishes.
The training ground was abuzz with activity as other players, including Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, and Kuldeep Yadav, made the most of the optional net session. Conspicuously absent from the day's proceedings were Captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, ace bowler Jasprit Bumrah, and ace spinner R Ashwin, all of whom had been present during the previous day's training.
Kishan, the team's backup opener, looked in good touch, making full use of his time at the nets. The bowlers were not far behind, with many, including Shami and Thakur, honing their batting prowess. This added emphasis on batting is crucial considering India's relatively long tail, which remains untested due to the consistent performance of the primary batters.
Shami, fresh off his five-wicket haul against New Zealand, balanced his session between batting and bowling. Similarly, Siraj flipped the order, while Thakur and Kuldeep were seen practicing with the bat under the punishing heat.
Towards the tail-end of the rigorous session, head coach Rahul Dravid was spotted closely inspecting the red soil pitch, possibly strategizing for the upcoming game. This pitch inspection gains significance in the backdrop of an earlier comment by all-rounder Hardik Pandya. After a T20 clash against New Zealand earlier in the year, Pandya had labeled the surface as a "shocker," leading to a section of the square being revamped for the World Cup.
As India aims to maintain its undefeated streak in the tournament, all eyes will be on young talents like Gill to rise to the occasion and deliver match-winning performances.
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