Team India wasted little time returning to work, hitting the nets less than 48 hours after their Asia Cup 2025 triumph. The squad began preparations in Ahmedabad for the first of two Tests against West Indies, set to begin on Thursday at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
While most of the players took part in the intense three-hour session, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel were given a well-earned rest. The training opened with light drills before the batters stepped into the nets.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul looked in excellent rhythm, while wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel also impressed after his recent stint as India A captain. Middle-order contenders B Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal appeared solid, with Padikkal in particular showcasing the form that saw him smash 150 in the unofficial Test against Australia A.
Skipper Shubman Gill, however, endured a stern test. He faced sharp spells from both pacers and throwdown specialists, with one rising delivery striking his gloves. Despite the pressure, Gill kept switching nets to practice against pace, spin, and throwdowns as he prepares for his first home Test as captain.
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The pace attack was led by Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, both fresh from India A duty, who bowled fiery spells for nearly 45 minutes each. Head coach Gautam Gambhir paid close attention to the conditions, inspecting the pitch both before and after the training session.
The only selection question for India is whether to include an extra batter. Padikkal looks to be the front-runner, while Nitish Reddy remains an option given his ability to contribute with both bat and ball.
The rest of the lineup looks fairly settled, with Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Siraj, and Bumrah forming the backbone, while Kuldeep Yadav’s wicket-taking form makes him a likely key weapon against a relatively inexperienced West Indies side in Indian conditions.
Meanwhile, the visitors had their preparations hampered by rain, managing just half an hour of indoor training.
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