Shubman Gill Goes Sachin Tendulkar Route To Foil Sri Lanka's Masterplan Vs India

Shubman Gill goes Sachin Tendulkar's route [Source: AFP]

India's Test captain Shubman Gill followed the legendary Sachin Tendulkar's footsteps to foil Sri Lanka's strategy in the upcoming Test series. Gill will lead the Indian team that will take on Sri Lanka in a two-match series, starting at the Galle International Stadium on August 15. 

The Indian team enjoyed stellar success in the warm-up match against Sri Lanka-XI, defeating the home team by six wickets. Ahead of the first Test in Galle, Gill led India's preparations, replicating Sachin Tendulkar's work ethic to counter the reverse swing. 

How did Shubman Gill prepare to neutralise reverse swing in Sri Lanka?

The abrasive conditions in Sri Lanka lead to severe wear and tear on the cricket ball. As the ball gets older, the fast bowlers generate reverse swing and make it move towards the shiny side to catch the batters off guard. 

Shubman Gill is India's number four batter, and will mostly enter the middle to play against the old ball. As he is one of the most likely players to face reverse swing, it is crucial from Gill's perspective to get prepared for the same. 

The Indian captain exactly did that, as he practised against semi-old as well as old balls, allowing himself to acclimatise to the conditions he'll be up against when his team clashes with Sri Lanka. 

According to a report by RevSportz, the Indian team management had specifically demanded the used pitch from the three-day warm-up match for the optional practice session at the NCC Stadium on August 10. 

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It was a deliberately planned move, considering the used surface would replicate the tricky batting conditions and aid in reverse swing of the old ball, which India might be subjected to during the Test series. 

After completing the routine warm-up drills, Gill engaged himself in an intense net session against older balls, facing India's throw-down specialists- Nuwan Seneviratne, Raghavedra Dwivedi and Dayanand Garani. 

The throw-down session lasted for 20 minutes before Shubman Gill faced Auqib Nabi, one of the rare exponents of reverse swing bowling in the India Test squad for Sri Lanka. Nabi bowled with semi-old balls and helped the Indian skipper prepare for the specific delivery before the two-match series in the Island Nation. 

Shubman Gill's preparations show shades of Sachin Tendulkar

Talismanic Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar also used to prepare for the reverse swing bowling using unique methods. In Tendulkar's own admission, he used tennis balls taped at one end to replicate the pacy reverse swing deliveries that he would encounter while facing the likes of Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar during his playing days.  

“During my playing days, I used to tape the ball up from one side. In season (leather) balls, we look for the shiny and the rough side and in the tennis ball, we would apply tape on one side and I used to practice reverse swing to face it in international cricket,” Tendulkar was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

Which Sri Lankan bowler can challenge Gill with reverse swing? 

Vishwa Fernando is one bowler who can test the Indian batters, including Shubman Gill, with the reverse swing. Fernando's left-arm angle and ability to tail the ball back into the batters make him a potent threat to India's right-handed batters. So, Gill's preparation at the NCC ground holds significant importance, as it will allow him to take on Fernando with confidence. 

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