Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma practiced at Eden Park in Auckland to prepare for upcoming ODIs. The duo faced bowlers like Auqib Nabi and Gurnoor Brar during an intense session. While Rohit remained tentative outside the off-stump, Kohli showed great intent and hit many trademark drives throughout the long practice.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma at the Eden Park in Auckland. (Photos: Sahil Malhotra)
AUCKLAND: A handful of cars were still lining up for the "boot sale" in the Eden Park compound when Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma arrived at the venue to continue their ODI preparations. It was a perfect day for cricket: the temperature hovered around 20 degrees, the sun was out in all its glory, and a gentle breeze provided a pleasant balance. This was the experienced duo's second net session, and both Kohli and Rohit hit the ground running as soon as they arrived. After a quick stretch with the resistance band, India's No.3 was down to business on the centre wicket at the training ground and faced a few throwdowns before taking guard against Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar and Anshul Kamboj. The morning freshness set-up the session nicely and the troika instantly hit the right areas, keeping the two stalwarts on their toes throughout their hit. Nabi, in particular, used the breeze to his advantage, getting nice shape going away from the two right-handers and kept flirting with the outside edges of Rohit and Kohli. There was no respite from the other end with Brar hitting the right length and Kamboj getting a fair few deliveries moving both ways. While Kohli grew in confidence with his trademark cover-drives, none intended to graze the lush green outfield, whereas Rohit remained a bit tentative outside the off-stump. The two veterans were very comfortable playing deliveries off their pads but it wasn't the case when Nabi got a few to nip back from the spot he was gently curving away for most of the session. The 29-year-old, who is now part of the ODI squad for the first three ODIs, enjoyed top rhythm during his one-hour spell, and the relentlessness of Kamboj and Brar certainly helped.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma watching the nets closely at the Eden Park. (Photo: Sahil Malhotra)
Intent the keyword for Kohli
Amidst the nicks and frustration of missing the drives, Kohli didn't compromise on intent. Most of the drives were uppish and he kept searching for the trademark whip towards mid-wicket. Even when Rohit finished his session and was resting by the ice box, Kohli gestured to a waiting KL Rahul for one last dance. He pulled, drove, flicked, cut and lofted it out of the park with sheer disdain. The drill lasted close to ten minutes and one hit out of the ground got the local bowlers, who were loosening up in the gym, on their feet. When Kohli was done batting, he placed two cones and did multiple high-intensity sprints to cap off a productive day.
Virat Kohli after completing his nets at the Eden Park in Auckland. (Photo: Sahil Malhotra)
Karan Aujla query by Rohit
You can't keep Karan Aujla out of the social media feeds these days and Rohit too seemed caught up with the trend when he went for a quick restroom break. The two local cricketers got excited when the former Indian captain entered the area and when they politely requested for a picture, they were a bit taken aback by his simplicity and the query. "You boys are Aujla fans," Rohit quipped before posing for the two who smiled ear-to-ear after getting the perfect picture for the 'gram!. No prizes for guessing the song. "Ashke," the unannounced anthem of the nation these days, would have been the unanimous choice.
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KL Rahul at the Eden Park. (Photo: Sahil Malhotra)
Gill absent; Rahul, Ruturaj train
India ODI captain Shubman Gill wasn't present for the nets and it's understood he had a scheduled gym session during that period. Rahul and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who joined the team on October 31, had an extended hit divided between the nets and the centre wicket. From the support staff, spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule and fielding coach Shubhadeep Ghosh were in attendance alongwith Dayanand Garani and Nuwan Seneviratne. The rest remained with India's T20I team for the final match of the series in Hamilton.