It was an evening of split attention at the ICC Academy in Dubai. On one side of the sprawling facility, India’s batters launched balls into the night sky; on the other, Pakistan quietly went about their drills. The rare sight of the two arch-rivals training simultaneously, separated only by a few nets and plenty of history. Fascinatingly, no pleasantries were shared between the two teams.
Shortly after 7 PM on September 6, as the Pakistan squad made its way to their nets ahead of Sunday’s tri-series final against Afghanistan, India were already deep into their own three-hour session. Those hoping for a warm handshake or a fleeting moment of camaraderie were left disappointed. Both sides stayed locked in, focusing on their drills, leaving the anticipation hanging for when they meet on the field in Dubai later this month.
India push intensity with long training session
India’s session stretched close to four hours, a clear sign that Gautam Gambhir and his support staff are leaving no stone unturned in fine-tuning combinations. The evening began with a bronco drill under trainer Adrian Le Roux, testing the players’ endurance in the heat. Gambhir himself slipped into the role of motivator, urging the players on from the sidelines.
Once the lights took full effect, attention shifted to the centre-wicket nets. Unlike the opening day, which was more about easing into rhythm, Saturday’s session saw sharper intent. Every specialist batter spent more than an hour in the middle before the all-rounders padded up, with the drills eventually resembling a range-hitting contest.
Abhishek Sharma shines with clean hitting
Among the batters, young Abhishek Sharma stole the show. The left-hander cleared the ropes with remarkable ease, striking the ball cleanly and consistently. His effortless six-hitting was an entertaining watch. Although playing his first multi-nation tournament could be a tricky test for Abhishek, his preparations have been top-notch.
Now, someone who will partner Abhishek up top, Gill, who is usually more classical in approach, was also seen working extensively on his aerial game. Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Rinku Singh followed, each focusing heavily on power-hitting. Rinku then switched to a separate fielding drill under coach T Dilip.
Sanju Samson, meanwhile, took a different route. He began with a quiet knocking session with batting coach Sitanshu Kotak before eventually joining the main nets, where he too launched a few into the stands. The competition for opening slots looks set to remain one of India’s biggest talking points heading into the tournament.
While the batters flexed their muscles, the bowlers made sure they weren’t mere bystanders. Jasprit Bumrah bowled long spells, testing Gill in particular, while Arshdeep Singh mixed things up with short-pitched deliveries. Hardik Pandya contributed in both roles, first steaming in with the ball before switching focus to batting. The spinners also had a busy evening. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy bowled extended spells, trying to outfox batters on surfaces that offered variable bounce.
After two consecutive days of high-intensity work, India will take a breather on Sunday before regrouping for two more sessions leading into their Asia Cup opener against hosts UAE on September 10.
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