India’s head coach Rahul Dravid was leaving no stone unturned to get his team well-prepared for the 3-match ODI series against Australia which will get underway on Friday, March 17 in Mumbai. Dravid not only oversaw drills but padded up for a slip-catching routine during the training session at the Wankhede Stadium ahead of the opening game of the three-match ODI series.
In a video shared by the Indian cricket board (BCCI), Rahul Dravid can be seen wearing a helmet and picking up a bat in hand as Shubman Gill joins him for a slip-catching drill. Dravid can be seen deflecting the throws from the batter’s end to the slips whereas Gill can be seen going through the drills. As expected, Dravid got his timing spot on as he edged them to perfection to make sure Gill had a solid workout.
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Rahul Dravid also used what looked like a baseball bat as he gave close-in catching practice for Shubman Gill along with a member of his support staff.
A perfect 'catch'-up ft. #TeamIndia Head Coach Rahul Dravid & @ShubmanGill ahead of Match Day 👌👌 #INDvAUS | @mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/TC1mw5L7fX
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 17, 2023
Rahul Dravid has often been seen hands-on with the training routines ever since he took over as the head coach of the Indian team. The former Indian skipper joined the team in Mumbai after the end of the 4-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series in Ahmedabad.
India will be missing the regular skipper Rohit Sharma for the ODI series opener in Mumbai as he opted out of the contest due to family commitments. Shubman Gill will open alongside Ishan Kishan in the first ODI and all eyes will be on the in-form star. Hardik Pandya will lead India in Mumbai on Friday.
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Shubman Gill has been in sensational form across all formats, having already scored 5 centuries in international cricket in 2023. Gill scored his maiden ODI double hundred against New Zealand in Ahmedabad before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. After failing to get going in the Indore Test defeat, Gill made the most of the opportunity that came his way on a good batting pitch in the final Test in Ahmedabad, notching up his maiden Test century at home.
