After thrashing Australia in the first Test match of the Border-Gavaskar series in Perth, India look to end the Aussie domination in Pink-ball Tests in Adelaide in the second game. Despite Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill being unavailable for the series opener, the Indian team registered a mammoth 295-run win over the Aussies.
While captain Rohit is now set to return, there is another boost for the Indian team. Star batter Shubman Gill, who was ruled out of the first Test due to a thumb injury, has returned to batting at the nets ahead of the Pink-ball Test and before India's warm-up game against the Prime Ministers' XI.
Shubman batted on Friday, a day ahead of India's Pink-ball practice match at Manuka Oval. He began by facing throwdowns from close range before capping off his practice with full-tilt bowling from pacers Akash Deep and Yash Dayal.
India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar said Gill looked comfortable while batting in the nets. "He is batting right now and our physio will evaluate him and I will know his status after that," Abhishek said on Gill.
"But from what I have seen, he is looking comfortable batting and he looks like he can bat [in a match]. He is batting in the indoor nets and we will know if he can play the practice match or not," he added.
Gill got injured during India's preparations ahead of the first Test. He picked up a blow to his left thumb while taking a catch at slips.
India trained with a pink ball in rainy conditions on green pitches in the nets. The preparation suits them for what could be on offer in Adelaide for the Pink-ball game. The pink-ball Tests are usually dominated by pacers in Australia. Nayar is well aware of the threats the pink-ball day-night Tests possess. "Whether it's a pink ball or a red ball, the difference is really in the mind," he said.
"Of course, there is a bit of difference between the two - the colour is different, there is more lacquer - and we are lucky that we have got six-eight days to get ready. When we were in Perth, too, we were training with the pink ball. Rohit [Sharma] was training [with the pink ball] too. So we have started our preparations. We will continue to focus on our game, and do what we need to do," Nayar added.
The Aussies have a great record in those games. They have played 12 Pink-ball Tests and have lost only one - a day-night Gabba Test against West Indies earlier in January.
They have played seven day-night Test matches at Adelaide and have never been defeated. India will have their task cut out for them, as they had when they ended Australia's winning streak of four Tests at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
