DUBAI, Sept: Abhishek Sharma’s dazzling stroke-play stole the show during India’s optional net session on Tuesday, while left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh focused on fitness drills under the watchful eye of strength and conditioning coach Adrian Le Roux. Senior players Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, and pacer Harshit Rana opted to rest on the optional training day at the ICC Academy.
But all eyes were on Abhishek. The young left-hander relied less on brute force and more on impeccable hand-eye coordination, sending deliveries soaring far beyond the nets. His session resembled a “range-hitting” exhibition, borrowing a term from golf, as he smashed at least 25-30 sixes in an hour-long display that kept spectators glued to the action.
Vice-captain Shubman Gill also looked in fine touch, elegantly caressing the ball inside-out over extra cover. His flawless technique was only briefly interrupted when a fiery delivery from a local net bowler uprooted the off-stump—a rare lapse in an otherwise polished session.
Arshdeep Singh was first into the nets, but he prioritized fitness over bowling. Under Le Roux’s supervision, he tackled a series of repeat sprint and shuttle drills, with cones set at 10, 20, and 40 metres—a routine now commonly called the “Bronco Test.” Unlike the usual high-intensity sprints, Arshdeep jogged through most of the exercises at a steady pace, accompanied by bowling coach Morne Morkel Confirms that during his stint at the BCCI CoE in Bengaluru, Arshdeep had topped the Bronco test among fast bowlers.
With Samson resting after a modest outing on Monday, wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma continued his focused training. Under fielding coach T. Dilip, he practiced reflex “no-look” catching drills, standing with hands parallel to the ground as the coach dropped the ball from close range. The exercise challenges the keeper to catch the ball inches before it hits the ground, relying purely on instinct and reaction time.
