The India national cricket team had to go through a tough and tough practice session at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala on Saturday (December 13) ahead of the third T20I against South Africa. India lost the second game by 51 runs and will now aim to make a strong comeback in Dharamsala.
According to a Times of India report, the training for Suryakumar Yadav and his team lasted for about three and a half hours and as the session progressed, the pressure within the camp became evident. Dharamshala is known for high-scoring matches, but the pitch also offers swing, seam movement and extra bounce.
After the huge defeat in the second T20 match, India had to sweat a lot in Dharamshala.
That mix can trouble batsmen, especially under lights, and the Men in Blue planned their practice with those conditions in mind. The main focus in the nets was on technique. Each batsman was asked to take things slow and work on fundamentals rather than power hitting.
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Washington Sundar was among the first to bat in the nets. After Sundar and Sanju Samson finished practice, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav and vice-captain Shubman Gill trained hard. Both the batsmen practiced in all four nets, facing different bowlers and conditions.
Suryakumar Yadav’s 90-minute reset in Dharamshala
Suryakumar batted for more than 90 minutes, which is almost equivalent to an entire T20 innings. The drills he performed resembled those seen in training academies, with an emphasis on footwork, balance and shot control. Big hits were not a priority in the beginning.
The focus of the net session was on honing each batsman’s technique.
Skye, Gil pointed out.
SKY batted for more than 90 minutes
They went through exercises that are more seen in academies where one works on the nuances of concrete technique.
Gill worked on backfoot punches https://t.co/6x0RhEmqGg– Arani Basu (@AraniBasuTOI) 14 December 2025
The struggling Suryakumar, known for his creative strokeplay, avoided his usual ramp and risky shots against the fast bowlers. Instead, the stylish batsman focused on using a straight bat and compact defense as he aims to bounce back among the runs in the third T20I.
The Indian captain experimented with sweeps and laps, but made quick adjustments when he started missing the ball against the spinners. Additionally, Suryakumar worked on playing straight and practiced inside-out shots to find safe scoring areas.
Shubman Gill works hard in the nets as pressure mounts on his T20I form
On the other hand, Shubman Gill, who has been facing criticism due to his poor form with the bat in the format, batted conservatively for long periods in the nets. India’s Test and ODI captain spent extra time facing the moving new ball, which has troubled him recently.
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However, balls pitched on a good length outside the off stump have often caught the edge of Gill’s. During the session, the right-handed batsman focused on using back-foot punches, playing the ball late and uppercuts to take advantage of the field during the powerplay.
Later, Jitesh Sharma walked out with Hardik Pandya for a short power-hitting session under the lights on the center pitch at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala.
Jasprit Bumrah goes back to basics with intense solo session
Meanwhile, after struggling to bowl his yorkers in the second T20I against South Africa, Jasprit Bumrah also had a serious solo bowling session at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala. Usually, Bumrah skips optional practice on the eve of the match, but this time he decided to do extra work.
For almost 45 minutes, the top Indian pacer bowled with full intensity, focusing only on his yorkers. There were no batsmen, just cones, stumps, a camera and bowling coach Morne Morkel was watching Bumrah closely during his intense session.
Bumrah resorted to boot-and-cone drills to hone his lethal yorker.
It is interesting to see how the man keeps working to better himself. https://t.co/4kZGRGVGB0– Arani Basu (@AraniBasuTOI) 14 December 2025
Bumrah has long been known for his lethal yorkers, but after the second T20I against South Africa, the Indian fast bowler wanted to fix this issue and come back stronger. With technique, discipline and confidence, India is going back to basics, strengthening its skills and preparing for a comeback.