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With Hardik sidelined, India batters Kohli, Gill, Suryakumar start bowling in the nets
The all-rounder is expected to miss at least the next two games and the specialist batters rolled their arm over at the nets.
With all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s return delayed after an ankle injury sustained against Bangladesh in Pune on October 19, most of India’s specialist batters rolled their arm over during their first training session in Lucknow on Thursday.
That was one of the notable features of India’s optional evening session at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. India, who have won their first five matches in this World Cup, face England here on Sunday.
Virat Kohli was the first to try out his part-time seam, bowling a few deliveries to India skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. It was only after this that Kohli padded up for a long batting stint.
Later in the evening, Gill and Suryakumar Yadav – both have never bowled in ODIs – delivered off-breaks. While Gill bowled to Mohammed Siraj in an interesting role reversal, Yadav tossed up a few balls to Sharma and Shreyas Iyer. Yadav had been reported for an illegal bowling action while playing for Mumbai Indians at the Champions League T20 in 2014.
It is a pointer to India encouraging their main batters to work on their bowling in the nets. Sharma, also a part-time off-spinner, had bowled in the nets in Pune. Such a move has been necessitated by Pandya's unavailability. Crucial as a batter at No. 6 and as a sixth bowling option, he suffered an ankle injury while trying to stop a straight drive by Bangladesh opener Litton Das. Kohli had to step in and complete the remaining balls in Pandya’s over.
BCCI had said Pandya will miss India’s game against New Zealand in Dharamsala and join the team in Lucknow, but that hasn’t been the case.
While the Indian team that won the 2011 ODI World Cup at home had quite a few part-timers who could chip in with overs, the current set-up isn’t blessed with that luxury. The presence of throwdown specialists in the coaching staff also means there’s no need for the players in the top six to bowl a few overs once they are done with batting at the nets.
