With Shubman Gill set to miss the Perth Test, KL Rahul’s return to training was a big boost for India on Sunday. He shrugged off injury concerns as he returned to batting during the team’s training session at the WACA in Perth.
Rahul left the field early in India’s intra-team match simulation on Friday after being hit on the elbow by Prasidh Krishna’s rising delivery. The blow left him grimacing and he struggled to his feet after seeking medical attention. Rahul did not return to the crease later in the day as India’s top batsmen got another chance at the crease.
But Rahul put in a solid workout during India’s training session on Sunday morning that lasted nearly three hours. After two days of match simulation, which effectively featured India’s main eleven against a lineup made up of fringe or India A players, some members of the team trained at the WACA center wicket and nets.
Rahul spent about an hour hitting the ground before a brief workout in the nets. There were no signs of discomfort, although Rahul did not look as fluid as before his knock during the match simulation when he opened the innings alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Rahul’s improved fitness comes just hours before Gill’s unavailability for Perth was almost confirmed. Gill suffered a thumb injury on the second day of India’s intra-team training match. However, his position in the batting order remains uncertain and it is yet to be confirmed whether Rohit Sharma will arrive in Perth in time for the first Test, after he and his wife Ritika Sajdeh had their second child on Friday.
Gill, who made 28 and an unbeaten 42 on Friday, was injured while playing in the slips and left the field. He was not seen at Sunday’s training session, which saw several of India’s top batsmen missing, including Jaiswal, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant.
Amid reports that he recently underwent scans, Kohli batted without any sign of discomfort for two innings on the first day of the match simulation. He didn’t make 15s and 30s, but struggled at times against short-pitched bowling on a relatively calm WACA surface.
India’s frontline bowling attack, led by vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah, was unleashed during the second day’s match simulation and also trained on Sunday.
After an initial three days in the nets followed by three days of match simulation practice at the center wicket, India completed their training block at the WACA. From Tuesday onwards they will resume their preparations at the Optus Stadium, where the first Test begins on November 22.
While some networking sessions and the first day of match simulation were open to the media, the weekend’s activities took place behind closed doors for logistical reasons.
Meanwhile, hosts Australia begin their first preparations for the Test on Monday with a training session at the WACA.
