India captain Shubman Gill returned to batting practice on Sunday, boosting the visitors ahead of their two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. Gill had missed the ongoing three-day warm-up match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI after suffering an injury to his right ring finger. The 26-year-old was seen batting in the nets without any visible discomfort.
Gill was hit on his right ring finger while batting during a practice session on Thursday. The injury forced him to sit out the warm-up game at the NCC Ground in Colombo, with senior wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul leading the side in his absence. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had initially ruled Gill out of the opening day as a precaution.
However, Gill did not bat on the second day either, raising concerns about his availability for the first Test. Veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was promoted to No. 4 in his absence during the practice game. Gill's return to batting on Sunday eased those concerns ahead of the series opener.
Gill took part in an extended batting session in the side nets and faced both seamers and spinners. He appeared comfortable while batting, with no visible signs of discomfort from the finger injury. His return to active practice is a major boost for India with the first Test scheduled to begin in Galle on August 15.
India will travel to Galle after the conclusion of the warm-up match in Colombo. The second and final Test will be played at the historic Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo from August 23 to 27. India are currently fifth in the World Test Championship points table and will be keen to collect a strong result against sixth-placed Sri Lanka to strengthen their hopes of reaching the final.
