India vs England Live Score, 1st Test: Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow put on a 50-run stand on Day 1 in Hyderabad

On Tuesday, Shubman Gill was named India’s men cricketer of 2023. On Wednesday, a day before India’s first Test against England, he turned up for a full-on nets session at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. It’s a rare sight because most first-eleven regulars skip the match-eve practice session. Mostly, only the back-ups turn up, more in the hope of an opportunity opening up at the last minute.

But few batsmen in India’s line-up, weakened by the absence of Virat Kohli, would be as under pressure as Gill could be. So he slogged for a good couple of hours in the nets under the unusually searing January sun. After starting off against seamers, he quickly shifted to facing the spinners (all net bowlers). Having struggled in the past against off-spinners, he would seek one out and instruct him to bowl a bit slower through the air as he alternated between attack and defence. There were times when he was beaten on the outside edge. Gill would often respond with an aggressive shot. (Read more from Venkata Krishna B)