India is gearing up to return to Test cricket after a five-month break, with Rohit Sharma leading the team in a two-match series against Bangladesh next week. This series is part of India’s ongoing campaign in the current World Test Championship cycle. Earlier in March, India secured a 4-1 series victory over England, and they will continue their home stretch with a final series against New Zealand next month. Following that, the team will head to Australia in December to defend the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Ahead of the Test series, Indian players selected for the opening match gathered in Chennai for a training camp, where the first Test will begin next Thursday. On the first day of camp, Virat Kohli who arrived from London that morning and Jasprit Bumrah who will be playing his first match since the T20 World Cup final in June were the focus of attention. Head coach Gautam Gambhir, alongside newly appointed bowling coach Morne Morkel, oversaw the practice sessions.
On the second day of camp, the training session largely remained consistent, but a key detail stood out. A video shared by Jio Cinema highlighted a potential strategy involving Yashasvi Jaiswal, who bowled a few leg-breaks after his batting session. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were seen facing Jaiswal’s deliveries, suggesting he may have a role in the upcoming Test as a part-time bowler.
Under Gautam Gambhir’s leadership, the use of part-time bowlers has become a noticeable strategy. The trend started during the Sri Lanka T20I series in July, where players like Suryakumar Yadav and Rinku Singh were given bowling responsibilities. This strategy continued in the subsequent ODI series, with Rohit Sharma opting for six bowlers, even when all-rounder Hardik Pandya was available. Gambhir’s approach is focused on maintaining a balance between batting and bowling depth, without compromising the team’s overall structure.
