Suryakumar Yadav and Co. go old-school in nets to tackle Dharamsala challenge

The India National Cricket Team underwent a tough and demanding practice session at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Saturday (December 13) ahead of the third T20I against South Africa. India lost the second game by 51 runs, and now they are aiming to bounce back strongly in Dharamsala.

As reported by the Times of India, Suryakumar Yadav and his team’s training lasted close to three and a half hours, and as the session went on, the pressure within the camp became clear. Dharamsala is known for high-scoring matches, but the pitch also offers swing, seam movement, and extra bounce.

India sweat it out in Dharamsala after heavy loss in second T20I

That mix can trouble batters, especially under lights, and the Men in Blue planned their practice keeping those conditions in mind. The main focus in the nets was technique. Every batter was asked to slow things down and work on the basics rather than power hitting.

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Washington Sundar was among the first to bat at the nets. After Sundar and Sanju Samson finished their practice, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav and vice-captain Shubman Gill trained hard. Both batters practiced across all four nets, facing different bowlers and situations.

Suryakumar Yadav’s 90-minute reset in Dharamsala

Suryakumar batted for more than 90 minutes, almost the length of a full T20 innings. The drills they followed looked more like those seen at training academies, with a strong emphasis on footwork, balance, and shot control. Big hits were not the priority early on.

Focus of the nets sessions was on polishing every batter’s technique.
SKY, Gill hogged the attention.
SKY batted for over 90 minutes
They went through drills that are seen more in academies where one works on the nuances of a solid technique.
Gill worked on backfoot punches https://t.co/6x0RhEmqGg

— Arani Basu (@AraniBasuTOI) December 14, 2025

The struggling Suryakumar, who is known for his creative strokeplay, avoided his usual ramps and risky shots against the pacers. Instead, the stylish batter focused on using a straight bat and a compact defense as he is aiming to return among the runs in the third T20I.

The Indian captain experimented with sweeps and laps but adjusted quickly when he started missing the ball against the spinners. Additionally, Suryakumar worked on playing straight and practiced inside-out shots to find safer scoring areas.

Shubman Gill grinds it out in the nets as pressure mounts on his T20I form

On the other hand, Shubman Gill, who is facing heat for his poor form with the bat in the format, had a long spell of traditional batting at the nets. India’s Test and ODI captain spent extra time facing the moving new ball, which has troubled him recently.

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However, balls pitching on a good length outside off stump have caught Gill's edge too often. During the session, the right-handed batter concentrated on back-foot punches, playing the ball late, and using uppercuts to take advantage of the field during the powerplay.

Later, Jitesh Sharma steps out with Hardik Pandya for a short power-hitting session under lights at the center pitch at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.

Jasprit Bumrah goes back to basics with intense solo session

Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah also had a serious solo bowling session at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala after struggling to deliver his yorkers in the second T20I against South Africa. Usually, Bumrah skips optional practice on match eves, but this time he decided to put in extra work.

For around 45 minutes, the ace Indian fast bowler bowled at full intensity, focusing only on his yorkers. There were no batters, just cones, stumps, a camera, and bowling coach Morne Morkel watching Bumrah closely during his intense session.

Bumrah resorted the boot-and-cone drills to get his lethal yorkers working.
Fascinating to see how the man keeps working on improving himself. https://t.co/4kZGRGVGB0

— Arani Basu (@AraniBasuTOI) December 14, 2025

Bumrah has long been known for his deadly yorkers, but after the second T20I against South Africa, the Indian pacer wanted to fix the issue and make a strong comeback. With technique, discipline, and belief, India are going back to basics, tightening their skills, and preparing to make a comeback.