AUCKLAND: Volume has always been the keyword when it comes to Shubman Gill‘s preparations for a fixture. Whether it is the IPL, ODIs or Tests, there is no compromise on the number of deliveries he faces, the sprints he completes or the big hits he unleashes.It was no different on Monday at Eden Park, where the India captain had another marathon net session. It began with gentle throwdowns and culminated in an extended fielding session with spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule. For close to three hours, Gill, who had skipped Sunday’s session, made the most of the morning and ensured he reached his desired workload.While fast bowlers Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar and Auqib Nabi were given a breather after bowling lengthy spells the previous day, a combination of local spinners and fast bowlers worked hard to provide batting practice to Gill and KL Rahul, the only two designated batters to turn up at the nets.The centre wicket remained the focus of most of the action, with Rahul beginning his session by donning the big gloves. The experienced wicketkeeper-batter spent close to 15 minutes collecting throwdowns from Dayanand Garani and Nuwan Seneviratne before padding up to bat alongside Gill.The two batters faced deliveries for close to a minute each before sprinting to the other end to make way for their partner. The drill continued as Bahutule kept a close eye on proceedings from behind the bowler’s arm.A handful of spectators had gathered along the main road near the square boundary, repeatedly calling out, “Gill bhai, autograph dedo, main Moga… Punjab se hu.” Even Rahul had to contend with the noise as the two batters remained in high demand, with fans eager to get their autographs, selfies and pictures.Once satisfied with his batting output and after putting on a show with his trademark strokes, particularly the big inside-out drive, Rahul disappeared into the tunnel and did not return.For Gill, however, the job was only half done. Having completed the longest batting session of the day, he wrapped up his workout with catching drills from different positions. After working on close-in and slip catching, he also practised taking high catches near the boundary ropes before calling it a day.Following a quick massage to his neck, which has troubled him of late whenever he ramps up his workload, Gill headed off. The ground staff then switched on the sprinklers to give the square some much-needed recovery after the morning’s exertions.By the time Gill and company left for the hotel, the remaining members of the ODI squad would have been close to reaching Auckland from Hamilton, the venue of the fifth T20I. The entire squad will have just one opportunity to train together on Tuesday before the five-match series gets underway on November 4.
No nets for Kohli; Rohit skips session too
Nearly an hour into India’s training session, a luxury car emerged from the tunnel leading to the dressing rooms. It proceeded towards the main exit before briefly stopping, allowing the passenger to catch a glimpse of the centre wicket, where Rahul and Gill 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 any batting or fielding drills.Kohli was not the only senior batter to skip the nets. Rohit Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad also chose to stay indoors and are expected to fine-tune their preparations alongside the rest of the squad on the eve of the match.India are scheduled to train in the afternoon on Tuesday, while New Zealand will have a morning session.
