India captain Shubman Gill suffered a blow to his right thumb while batting in the nets ahead of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, slated to begin on August 15. The 26-year-old was struck by a delivery from one of the pacers during training and Gill was visibly in a lot of pain. He immediately received treatment from the team physio. According to Revsportz, the injury was not serious, as Gill resumed his batting session shortly afterwards.
Gill’s injury concerns did not end there. During the team’s fielding drills, the Punjab cricketer appeared to hurt his right hand while taking part in catching practice. Stationed in the slips, Gill received immediate attention from the team physio, who arrived with an ice pack, according to Times Now. Currently, the extent of the injury remains unclear, while newly appointed fielding coach Subhadeep Ghosh was seen keeping a close watch on the situation.
India to play three-day practice match against Sri Lanka XI
Ahead of the Test series, the Indian team management decided to play a three-day practice match to get acclimatised with the conditions. The surfaces in Sri Lanka heavily assist the spinners and that is slightly concerning for the Indian team, as the batters have struggled in that department as of late. New Zealand and South Africa exposed them at home and if the team suffers in the hands of Sri Lanka, their hope of reaching the WTC final could possibly be over.
In the meantime, Sri Lanka have announced the 15-member squad for the practice match. Sonal Dinusha will lead the side.
India, on the other hand, are expected to test their batters in Colombo. It also needs to be seen if Gill bats or takes a precautionary measure ahead of the marquee series. Apart from that, all the members are currently fit for the practice game.ย
Sri Lanka squad for practice match – Nishan Madushka, Ravindu Rashantha, Pasindu Sooriyabandara, Pavan Rathnayake, Ahan Wickramasinghe, Sonal Dinusha (Captain), Anjala Bandara (Wicketkeeper), Nipun Dananjaya, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Asanka Manoj, Isitha Wijesundara, Ramesh Mendis, Kesara Nuwantha, Dilum Sudeera
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