Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel put at injury risk with dangerous batting practice to improve against spinners
Table of Contents
Indian batters Sai Sudharsan and Dhruv Jurel both faced a bunch of spinners within the Indian team's practice sessions during their final net session at the Eden Gardens. They both were playing with their pads off and with an element of risk, as per a report in PTI.
India lost their opening match of the South Africa Test series and will look to fancy their chances in the second match, which begins on Saturday in Guwahati. India struggled to face off against the South African spinners, especially Simon Harmer.
The Indian head coach wanted to boost his team's chances under home conditions with rank turner tracks, but the idea totally backfired on him and his team at the Eden Gardens. Hence, to counter spin better, they have pushed them to a newer practice regime.
Sai Sudharsan bats with his front pad off
Indian batters Sai Sudharsan and Dhruv Jurel both attended India's optional practice sessions at the Eden Gardens on Tuesday, and during those sessions, they were spotted wearing just one pad to counter turning deliveries.
The left-handed batter Sai Sudharsan had his right pad off, which aimed at ensuring the use of the bat more than the front pad during a long stride. This could also help them avoid their usual strategy of playing on the back foot, since modern-day Indian batters are not considered to read spinners from their hand.
Batting without the front pad meant that he needed to be very cautious about his shinbone or any other exposed area, which could lead to a fracture. This is often considered a very old-school model of training, which improves the blocking of deliveries with the bat. This also encourages batters to step out and smother the spin on deliveries.
Dhruv Jurel practices reverse sweeps with right pads off
Other than Sai Sudharsan, another batter who was seen practising similarly was Dhruv Jurel. He, too, had his right pad off and practised reverse sweeps on one of the central wickets.
For the execution of a reverse sweep, the right leg has to take a long stride forward, and hence the practice was designed in such a manner that could enhance movement but simultaneously increase the risk of injury.
During these sessions, head coach Gautam Gambhir had his eyes set on these two batters. Sudharsan was cited specially, as if Shubman Gill misses out on the next game, he is the most likely batter to replace him at no. 4.
Nitish Kumar Reddy arrives in Kolkata ahead of the second Test
With Captain Shubman Gill's participation unlikely for the upcoming Test, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was recalled into the squad, and he flew to Kolkata on Monday. However, Reddy was absent from the optional session on Tuesday.
Being a right-handed batter, he surely brings along some versatility that the left-handed batters Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal in the side do not, as the Indian side already comprises several left-handed batters.
In another shocking move at Kolkata, only six players attended the optional practice session, which included the three players who were not part of the XI, and only had Ravindra Jadeja among the senior-most cricketers, who batted for hours in the nets.
ALSO READ: Steve Smith suffers colossal injury scare ahead of the Ashes opener
Tagged:
India National Cricket Team Sai Sudharsan Dhruv Jurel South Africa National Cricket Team India vs South Africa South Africa vs India
