Former India captain Rohit Sharma spent almost an hour batting during an extended net session at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Sunday, July 12. According to a report in Times of India, the right-handed batsman focused on building momentum and preparing for the upcoming opening ODI against England.
Seven members of India’s ODI squad trained for the second consecutive day while awaiting the arrival of the remaining players from Southampton after the T20 series. The three-match ODI series begins in Birmingham on Tuesday, July 14, before moving to Cardiff on July 16 and concluding in London on July 19.
Rohit Sharma completes extended open-net match simulation
Rohit Sharma started his two-hour training session with fielding drills under the guidance of fielding coach T Dilip before heading to the nets. While Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul completed their batting sessions, Rohit waited for his turn and chatted with teammates on the sidelines.
After facing some uncomfortable deliveries from the fast bowlers, Rohit Sharma quickly found his rhythm. He then asked the ground staff to unravel the nets and create an open-net match simulation, allowing him to bat in conditions close to the actual match.
Facing throwdown specialists Nuwan Senaviratne, Dayanand Garani and Raghavendra, Rohit repeatedly found gaps on the off side with controlled strokeplay. His confidence grew as the session progressed and after about an hour he finished his batting at around 4:15.
Rohit Sharma continues solid ODI form in England series
Rohit Sharma will feature in the England ODI series after playing a key role in India’s 3-0 series win over Afghanistan in June. The former Indian captain scored 143 runs in three innings at an average of 47.66 and a strike rate of 115.32, with his highest score being 79 in Chennai.
The experienced opening batsman has also had success against England in the 50-over format. He has scored 846 runs in 23 ODI matches at an average of 47.00 and strike rate of 90.77, which includes three centuries and four half-centuries. His highest score against England is 137 not out at Trent Bridge.
Overall, Rohit has scored 11,720 runs in 277 innings at an average of 48.83 in 285 ODIs. He has 33 centuries and 62 half-centuries to his name, with his highest ODI score being 264 runs, which he scored against Sri Lanka in Kolkata. Sharma completed 14,000 List A runs during the second ODI against Afghanistan
Virat Kohli spends time giving advice to young fast bowler Gurnoor Brar
Virat Kohli started his practice with Jasprit Bumrah, Gurnoor Brar and a local Birmingham seamer. The former India captain looked a little troubled against the initial seam movement before switching to the spinners, where he quickly regained his timing and control.
The batsman spent a lot of time batting with Shubman Gill and KL Rahul during the high-intensity session. As practice continued, he looked more comfortable and finished the session with several confident strokes against spin.
For the second day in a row, Virat Kohli also took time out to give advice to a young teammate after training. After sharing batting advice with Shubman Gill on Saturday, he spoke to 26-year-old fast bowler Gurnoor Brar on Sunday, offering tips when the youngster approached him for guidance.