AUS vs IND: Kohli, Pant led India's first practice session for Perth Test

After skipping the practice session on Tuesday, star Indian batter Virat Kohli was seen sweating it out in the nets on Wednesday

With a place in the final of the World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle at stake, India are preparing for their first Test against Australia in the upcoming five-match Test series at Perth. The Indian team have already commenced their practice sessions at the Optus Stadium. The Indian entourage arrived in Australia over the weekend and wasted no time hitting the nets in Perth. Reviving their tactics from the 2021 tour, the visitors are once again making efforts to stay out of public view before the first Test, starting on November 22.

 

Pant the main attraction during Tuesday's session

 

India began their practice session on Tuesday. However, in the absence of senior players like Virat Kohli, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja, wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant took the spotlight during the first practice session. Despite India's best attempts to practise in privacy, fans found a vantage point from where they could catch a glimpse of the Indian batters in action. The session was not as comfortable for Pant as he might have expected, as he received a few blows to the body, causing a wave of chuckles among the onlookers. 

 

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, on the other hand, had a much better outing, even sending a ball out of the park and onto the streets, which ended up as a keepsake for a passing fan. Other Indian players available in the nets on Tuesday included Shubhman Gill and KL Rahul.

 

Kohli steals the show on Wednesday

 

After disappointing fans by missing Tuesday's session, star batter Virat Kohli finally made his appearance at Optus Stadium on Wednesday, alongside big names like Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravichandran Ashwin. Kohli spent about an hour in the nets, focusing primarily on back-of-a-length deliveries.

 

The stadium management took extra measures to respect India’s request for privacy on the second day, but fans still managed to catch a glimpse of their favourite cricketers by using ladders to peek over the fence.