Shubman Gill locks in on spin weakness in the nets ahead of IND vs SL 2nd Test

Determined to overcome his recent struggles, Shubman Gill turned his attention directly toward conquering left-arm orthodox bowling during India’s practice ahead of the second Test against Sri Lanka. The skipper’s targeted net session at the Sinhalese Sports Club was a direct response to his dual failures against Prabath Jayasuriya in Galle, where he managed scores of just 16 and 8. Even though India marched away with a comfortable 165-run win, Gill's personal performance highlighted a persistent vulnerability in his batting approach.

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Gill fine-tunes his spin game for Colombo Test

The numbers reveal why this specific tweak in strategy has become a priority. Across his 42 Test matches, Gill has been removed by left-arm spinners 11 times, primarily due to difficulty lining up the ball's natural drift and turn. To iron out these technical flaws, the captain enlisted a heavy rotation of left-arm spinners—including Ravindra Jadeja, Manav Suthar, and local net bowlers—spending an extended period refining his movement and shot selection.

Interestingly, left-arm orthodox bowling remains the sole anomaly in an otherwise dominant game against spin. Gill boasts an impressive combined average of roughly 61 against both off-spinners and wrist-spinners, maintaining a solid overall career mark near 48 against spin as a whole. Resolving this single tactical blind spot could prove crucial as he looks to lead from the front in Colombo.

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Saransh Jain toils hard in the nets, Kuldeep Yadav's load off

Taking a lighter load ahead of the Colombo Test, wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav was present at Friday’s practice session but completely bypassed any batting or bowling duties. The decision to rest his arm follows a quiet opening Test in Galle, where he picked up just a single wicket—courtesy of a sharp catch from Shubman Gill at cover—while conceding 103 runs over 25 overs.

In contrast, off-spinner Saransh Jain was given an extended run in the nets, bowling directly to Rishabh Pant and Gill. While Jain managed to beat Pant's bat on a few deliveries, his heavy workload appears to be routine practice rather than a sign that he will replace Kuldeep in the final XI.

Meanwhile, top-order key player KL Rahul was absent from the day's training entirely, whereas middle-order batter Dhruv Jurel arrived later in the day for a brief batting stint. Both players enter the match with strong momentum, having notched crucial second-innings fifties that set up India's massive 165-run win in the series opener.