Team India captain Shubman Gill put in a marathon three-hour training session at Eden Park on Monday ahead of the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand. Meanwhile, former India captain Virat Kohli completed a gym session, while Rohit Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad stayed indoors.
India will begin the five-match ODI series on Wednesday, November 4, with the squad scheduled to train together on Tuesday. The remaining players were travelling to Auckland from Hamilton, where the fifth T20I was held, leaving the team with only one full-squad training session before the opening match.
Shubman Gill and KL Rahul Put in Long Batting Sessions at Eden Park
According to The Times of India, Shubman Gill skipped Sunday's training session but made up for it with an extensive workout on Monday. He spent close to three hours at the ground, starting with throwdowns before moving on to an extended fielding session with spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule.
KL Rahul was the only other designated batter to join Gill at the nets. Local spinners and fast bowlers provided the two batters with practice, while fast bowlers Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar and Auqib Nabi rested after bowling lengthy spells the previous day.
Rahul began his session with the wicketkeeping gloves on, spending around 15 minutes collecting throwdowns from Dayanand Garani and Nuwan Seneviratne. He then padded up and joined Gill on the centre wicket.
A few spectators gathered along the main road near the square boundary and repeatedly called out, "Gill bhai, autograph dedo, main Moga... Punjab se hu." Fans also hoped to get autographs, selfies and pictures with the two batters.
Rahul wrapped up his session after completing his batting workload and playing several trademark strokes, including his big inside-out drives. He then walked into the tunnel and did not return to the field.
Gill continued with fielding drills after completing his batting practice. He worked on close-in and slip catches before moving to the boundary ropes to practise taking high catches. The India captain also received a quick neck massage, as neck stiffness has troubled him when he increases his workload.
Virat Kohli Completes Gym Session as Rohit Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad Stay Indoors
Nearly an hour into the training session, a luxury car emerged from the tunnel leading to the dressing rooms. It briefly stopped near the exit, allowing the passenger to look towards the centre wicket, where Gill and Rahul were batting.
Virat Kohli was seated in the front seat. The former India captain had completed a gym session at the venue and left without taking part in batting or fielding drills.
Kohli was not the only senior batter to miss the outdoor session. Rohit Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad also stayed indoors and are expected to fine-tune their preparations with the rest of the squad on Tuesday, ahead of the series opener.
India Name Split Squads Ahead of ODI Series
India have named a split squad for the five-match series, with Gill leading the side in the first three ODIs and Shreyas Iyer taking over as captain for the final two matches. Jasprit Bumrah has not been included in the ODI squad and will feature only in the Test series, while Hardik Pandya will miss the entire tour.
Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna has also been ruled out of the ODI series after suffering a left hamstring injury during the second ODI against the West Indies in Guwahati. Auqib Nabi, who was initially named in the squad for the final two matches, has moved into the group for the first three ODIs as his replacement.
Nitish Kumar Reddy will feature only in the opening ODI before joining India A in Lincoln. With the remaining members of the squad expected to arrive from Hamilton, India will have one opportunity to train together on Tuesday before the series begins at Eden Park on November 4.
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