Post by : Meena Ariff

Photo: Reuters

KL Rahul continued his brilliant form with the bat as he scored a solid half-century in England. Captain Shubman Gill also looked in fine touch, scoring a fifty on the first day of India’s practice match in Kent. This match is being played between the Indian team members themselves to prepare for the upcoming five-match Test series against England, which begins on June 20.

The practice match started on June 13 and will go on till June 16. It is being held behind closed doors, meaning no spectators or media are allowed to watch it. No official scorecard or match statistics have been shared publicly. The only update so far came from a social media post, which mentioned that KL Rahul and Shubman Gill scored fifties, and Shardul Thakur took wickets.

A report also said that at the end of the match, an official from the cricket board will give a full update about the players’ performances.

Meanwhile, head coach Gautam Gambhir had to return to India in an emergency. His mother, Seema Gambhir, suffered a heart attack and was admitted to the ICU in a hospital in New Delhi. She is now under treatment and showing signs of recovery.

Gambhir and his family flew back to Delhi on Thursday. If things go well at home, he is expected to rejoin the team in England before the first Test match.

In his absence, assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate is looking after the team during this important practice game. He is being supported by bowling coach Morne Morkel and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak.

This match is very important for the Indian players to get used to the conditions in England. With players like Rahul and Gill performing well, the team looks in good shape for the big challenge ahead.