The Indian top-order batters have not had a good time in the practice game against Leicestershire. After failing to capitalise on good starts on Day 1, Cheteshwar Pujara, who is playing for Leicestershire in the warm-up game, got bowled by his Indian teammate Mohammed Shami.
Pujara got out for a six-ball duck as Pujara beat him with a back of the length in-swinging delivery. Pujara tried to play it on the back foot but dragged it on to the stumps. As Pujara walked back to the dressing room without troubling the scorers, Shami ran towards him and almost jumped on his teammate while celebrating it.
After hammering four centuries in five games for Sussex including two double tons, the veteran Indian batter made a comeback into India's Test squad. The 34-year-old scored a total of 720 runs from eight innings at an average of 120 during his Sussex stint this year.
It will be interesting to see whether Pujara walks into the playing XI straightaway for the rescheduled Test at Birmingham, Edgbaston or Hanuma Vihari will play against the in-form Ben Stokes-led England side.
Apart from Pujara, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant and fast bowler Prasidh Krishna are a part of the Leicestershire side in the warm-up game.
On the other hand, Shami was phenomenal with the new ball at Grace Road, Leicester. In his first spell, he bowled two maidens, conceded 14 runs and took two wickets. Before disturbing the stumps of his teammate, he got the wicket of Leicestershire skipper Samuel Evans. The opener edged it to first slip fielder Virat Kohli.
On Day 1, as India’s big guns struggled. Roman Walker turned out to be the talk of the town with a dream five-wicket haul. Krishna took the wicket of Shreyas Iyer for a duck. The unlikely hero turned out to be India's backup wicketkeeper-batter for the tour, Srikar Bharat. He remained unbeaten for 70 off 111 deliveries and stitched an important partnership to get India's score past 200.
