IND vs NZ 1st ODI: Captain Shubman Gill hits nets in full flow as Kohli and Rohit skip training

Indian captain Shubman Gill powered his way through Monday’s net session at Eden Park in Auckland ahead of the ODI series opener on Wednesday (Nov 4). Gill, who travelled with dedicated net bowlers to prepare for the five ODIs and two Tests that follow, trained for close to three hours, while the talismanic batting pair of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma skipped batting training.

Gill had a marathon net session, which began with casual throwdowns that culminated in an extended fielding session with spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bhautule. Gill, who missed Sunday’s training, spent most of Monday morning grinding in the nets.

While most of the pacers picked for New Zealand ODIs, including Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar and Auqib Nabi, were given a breather following lengthy spells the previous day, a set of local spin and pacers toiled hard bowling to Gill and KL Rahul in the nets.

KL Rahul was also in action behind the wickets, firstly by spending close to 15 minutes collecting throwdowns before padding up and bat alongside his ODI captain Gill. The two did put in extra yards in the outdoor nets, with cheers from onlookers keeping them upbeat. Upon completing his net session, Rahul disappeared into the tunnel and did not return.

Gill, however, was not done just yet. After completing the longest net session of the day, the Indian skipper wrapped up his training with catching drills and close-in and slip catching. By the time Gill left for his hotel, most of the remaining ODI squad members were close to reaching Auckland from Hamilton, the venue for the 5th T20I, which New Zealand won.

The ODI squad together will have just one day (Wednesday) before action begins the next day in Auckland.

Kohli, Rohit Skip Training Session

Although Gill and Rahul trained on Monday, two veterans, Rohit and Kohli, decided to skip batting sessions and instead chose to stay indoors to fine-tune their preparations.

While India are scheduled to have a practice session on Tuesday afternoon, the hosts, New Zealand, will train in the morning.