Gautam Gambhir's fix for India's flop show at Eden: Batters asked to take one pad off to counter spin

In a bid to improve batting against spin, Indian players practice with one pad removed during nets at Eden Gardens.

Eden Gardens saw something unusual ahead of India’s do-or-die Test against South Africa - frontline batters walking into face spin with one leg virtually unprotected. It was India’s latest, somewhat quirky experiment to fix a batting problem that has already cost them a home Test.

Kolkata: India's Sai Sudharsan with head coach Gautam Gambhir during a training session. (PTI)

With South Africa 1-0 up after that 30-run win in Kolkata and the second Test in Guwahati looming, the Indian camp has turned to an old-school drill: make batters remove their front pad against spin so they have no choice but to trust their bat. It's a high risk, but the team clearly believes it’s a risk worth taking.

One-pad drill to force bat-first defence

As reported by PTI, during an optional three-hour session at the Eden Gardens, Sai Sudharsan and Dhruv Jurel spent extended time facing spinners with only one pad on. Sudharsan, a left-handed batter in contention to replace the injured Shubman Gill, took off his right pad and ventured out to meet the ball with long, committed strides and soft hands.

The logic behind this practice is simple. With full protection, modern batters often plant the front pad and let it become a second line of defence, increasing their LBW risk and reducing the role of the bat. Take that pad away, and every misjudgment exposes bone. It forces cleaner decision-making: get to the pitch, smother spin, or get hit. Coaches believe it sharpens judgment against deliveries that grip, turn, or bounce awkwardly - exactly what undid India in Kolkata.

Jurel, a right-handed batter, used the same one-pad routine while rehearsing his reverse sweep. Without the front pad, he had to commit fully with his right leg and body weight, rather than sweeping from the crease. For India, that shot is a key release option on turning pitches; the drill is designed to hard-wire correct movement instead of instinctive, half-hearted strokes.

The session was officially optional, but carried serious intent. Only six players turned up, with Ravindra Jadeja - India’s senior all-rounder batting the longest. Head coach Gautam Gambhir and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak spent long spells observing Sudharsan in particular. Against pace, he didn’t look entirely settled. Akash Deep repeatedly beat his outside edge. Those struggles underline just how big a call it will be if the management throws him into a must-win Test.

Problems aplenty for India

Shubman Gill’s stiff neck, which kept him out of India’s second innings in Kolkata, has thrown the batting order into flux. He is expected to travel to Guwahati, but remains doubtful for the XI, prompting the management to pull all-rounder Nitish Reddy out of the India A series and fly him to join the senior squad. Reddy, who already has a Test century, offers a right-handed batting option and a seam-bowling cushion if conditions demand it.

South Africa, meanwhile, arrive in the northeast with momentum and history on their side after securing their first win in India since 2010. For India, the images from Eden’s nets - batters risking bruised shins to relearn bat-first defence - capture the reality of this series: technical quick fixes aren’t enough, but they are a necessary start in a contest where one more bad batting day could cost them the series and valuable WTC points.