Shubman Gill begins batting practice in Canberra before pink-ball Test, signalling positive preparation

The Indian cricket team is presently in Canberra, preparing for a two-day pink-ball warm-up match against the Prime Minister's XI at Manuka Oval. This match will serve as an opportunity for the Indian stars to familiarize themselves with the pink ball and its unique characteristics before they face Australia in Adelaide for the second Test. By playing this warm-up fixture, Team India aims to gain valuable experience and understand the tricks and challenges associated with the pink ball.

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transform: rotate(32deg); animation: shinerMooving 3s infinite; z-index: 1; filter: blur(1px); } @keyframes shinerMooving { 0% { left: -40px; } 100% { left: 150%; } } Top 15 buys at IPL 2025 Auction Rishabh Pant ₹ 27 Cr DC LSG Total Match 111 Total Runs 3284 Highest Score 128 runs Shreyas Iyer ₹ 26.75 Cr KKR PBKS Total Match 115 Total Runs 3127 Highest Score 96 runs Venkatesh Iyer ₹ 23.75 Cr KKR KKR Total Match 50 Total Runs 1326 Highest Score 104 runs Wickets 3 Best Bowling 2/29 Arshdeep Singh ₹ 18 Cr PBKS PBKS Total Match 65 Total Runs 29 Highest Score 10 runs Wickets 76 Best Bowling 5/32 Yuzvendra Chahal ₹ 18 Cr RR PBKS Total Match 260 Total Runs 37 Highest Score 8 runs Wickets 205 Best Bowling 5/40 Jos Buttler ₹ 15.75 Cr RR GT Total Match 107 Total Runs 3582 Highest Score 124 runs KL Rahul ₹ 14 Cr LSG DC Total Match 132 Total Runs 4683 Highest Score 132 runs Trent Boult ₹ 12.50 Cr RR MI Total Match 104 Total Runs 83 Highest Score 17 runs Wickets 121 Best Bowling 4/18 Jofra Archer ₹ 12.50 Cr MI RR Total Match 35 Total Runs 195 Highest Score 27 runs Wickets 46 Best Bowling 3/15 Josh Hazlewood ₹ 12.50 Cr RCB RCB Total Match 12 Total Runs - Highest Score - Wickets 12 Best Bowling 3/24 Mohammed Siraj ₹ 12.25 Cr RCB GT Total Match 93 Total Runs 109 Highest Score 14 runs Wickets 93 Best Bowling 4/21 Mitchell Starc ₹ 11.75 Cr KKR DC Total Match 41 Total Runs 105 Highest Score 29 runs Wickets 51 Best Bowling 4/15 Phil Salt ₹ 11.50 Cr DC RCB Total Match 21 Total Runs 653 Highest Score 89 runs Ishan Kishan ₹ 11.25 Cr MI SRH Total Match 105 Total Runs 2644 Highest Score 99 runs Wickets - Best Bowling - Jitesh Sharma ₹ 11 Cr PBKS RCB Total Match 40 Total Runs 730 Highest Score 49 runs Check Full Coverage

While India won the first Test at Perth by 295 runs to take a 1-0 series lead and gain a massive mental edge over the Aussies, the bitter and haunting memories of the 2021 Adelaide pink-ball Test, which saw India get bundled out for just 36 runs, will serve as a reminder to the players and fans alike that a lot of work still needs to be done and a remarkable Australian fightback could just be around the corner.

In the nets, Gill was seen refining his solid defence. After missing out on the first Test due to a thumb injury, there were positive signs as not only did Gill seem to handle his bat really well, but his defence also looked pretty solid.

Fans would be anticipating that the 25-year-old plays the Adelaide Test and continues from where he left off at The Gabba in 2021, which saw him play a magnificent knock of 91 to help India chase down 328 runs on the final day, win the series, and also hand Australia their first loss at this venue in over 32 years. That 2020-21 series marked a turning point in Gill's career, as he scored 259 runs in three Tests at an average of 51.80 with two fifties and slowly established him as one of India's premier young batters.

Gill has been in fine form this season, having made 806 runs in 10 matches and 19 innings, averaging above 47. He has scored three centuries and fifties, and his best score is 119*.

Batting at number three, a role he will carry on during this series, Gill has scored 926 runs in 14 matches, averaging 42.09, with three centuries and fifties in 25 innings.

Also, according to a report from ESPNcricinfo, Rohit Sharma will be available for the two-day warm-up game against the Prime Ministers XI from November 30 in Canberra, ahead of the day-night Test in Adelaide. Meanwhile, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma started practicing in the nets as he joined the team in Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after the birth of his second child.

On the other hand, India head coach Gautam Gambhir flew back home amidst the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-2025 and will miss the two-day tour game against the Prime Minister's XI in Canberra, according to ESPNcricinfo.

The report stated that Gambhir had left the squad to be in India for personal reasons.

A Board of Control for Cricket in India spokesperson confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that the India head coach will be back with the squad before the Adelaide Test, which will be starting on December 6.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

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