Gill ‘very much ready’ for first SL Test: Bahutule after skipper’s return during final day of warm-up clash

COLOMBO: Indian spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule said that skipper Shubman Gill is “very much ready” for the first Test against Sri Lanka, having missed the first two days of the warm-up clash against Sri Lanka XI after a hit on the finger during training.

Gill made a return to the action during the final day of the warm-up clash, scoring a quick 44 in 54 balls, laying the foundation of an easy 207-run chase for India that will give them plenty of morale ahead of the two-match Test series starting from August 15 onwards at Galle.

Speaking about Gill’s return to action, Bahutule said that keeping him away from the field was “a precaution” and the batter has been doing “absolutely fine”.

“It was just a precaution more than anything else. And he has been absolutely fine. He has been doing his training. And the management decided that we could just take that precaution of not putting him into that first day (of the practice match). And I think everything, the way he batted in the second inning, was again flawless. He is very much ready for the Test match,” said Bahutule as quoted by Cricinfo.

SL XI won the toss and opted to bat first and declared at 363/8 in the first innings. Ravindu Rasantha (71 in 143 balls, with six fours and a six), Nishan Fernando (66 in 65 balls, with 11 fours and a six) and skipper Sonal Dinusha (52 in 72 balls, with five fours and a six) made half-centuries.

Dekho, Woh Aa Gaya

Shubman Gill is back at the crease after the injury scare, and so are those trademark cover drives.

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Manav Suthar (2/33), Ravindra Jadeja (2/64) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/76) were the leading bowlers for India. Aqib Nabi, drafted as Jasprit Bumrah’s injury replacement, did not bowl any overs. Meanwhile, Saransh Jain (0/54), who got his first call-up, got some action with the ball.

In response, India lost Yashasvi Jaiswal (0) early, but a 96-run stand between KL Rahul (40 in 67 balls, with five fours and a six) and Devdutt Padikkal helped them get back in the game. Ravindra Jadeja (63 in 117 balls, with seven fours) had a 74-run stand with Padikkal before he was retired hurt. Rishabh Pant (2), Dhruv Jurel (1) were dismissed for poor scores.

Padikkal also had an 82-run stand with Manav Suthar (41 in 90 balls, with five fours and a six) and stood tall when India declared at 357/6, trailing by six runs. Padikkal made a sensational 142* in 164 balls, with 18 fours at number three. In the lower order, Saransh (22 in 45 balls, with three fours) and Gurnoor Brar (36* in 18 balls, with four sixes) posted handy knocks. Asanka Manoj (2/32) and Ramesh Mendis (2/77) were the leading bowlers for Sri Lanka XI.

In their second innings, SLXI declared at 200/6, with Nishan Fernando (63 in 73 balls, with 10 fours), Nipun Dhananjaya (46 in 56 balls, with five fours) and Anjala Bandara (35 in 48 balls, with four boundaries and a six) playing handy knocks.

Jadeja (2/33) and Brar (2/37) were among the top wicket-takers for India, with Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna also getting a wicket each. Nabi also got to throw five overs, conceding 27 runs.

In the chase of 207 runs, Jaiswal (61 in 46 balls, with nine fours and two sixes, retired hurt), put on a 105-run stand with skipper Gill (44 in 54 balls, with seven fours) who made a return to action on the final day.

Pant (28 in 68 balls, with a four and three sixes) and Jadeja (22 in 32 balls, with three fours, retired hurt) played crucial knocks. In the end, Mohammed Siraj (32* in 15 balls, with a four and four sixes) and Saransh Jain (2*) stayed unbeaten as India ended the match at 214/4 in 45 overs. (ANI)