Asia Cup 2023: Indian Batsmen’s Special Net Sessions To Tackle Shaheen Afridi

Summary: Due to persistent rain preventing outdoor training, except for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the Indian team conducted an indoor practice session recorded on video, focusing on facing a left-arm throwdown specialist.

At the indoor practice facility in Colombo on Thursday, two individuals received significant attention from India's batsmen: Nuwan Seneviratne, the throwdown specialist for the Sri Lankan team, and Hari Prasad Mohan, the data analyst. In preparation for the Pakistan match, India took proactive steps to address their glaring vulnerability: Shaheen Afridi's deceptive left-arm deliveries. Seneviratne possessed the skills to deliver deliveries that curved inward and outward, while Hari diligently documented the Indian batsmen's techniques on his tablet, with a particular focus on their footwork.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli decided not to participate in the optional training sessions held at the Gamini Dissanayaka Indoor facility at the Nondescript Cricket Club. However, despite the rainy conditions, the rest of the team dedicated themselves both physically and mentally to their practice.

Once their training with Seneviratne concluded, players like Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (who was returning to training after recovering from injury), and others would gather to closely analyze video footage. They paid specific attention to aspects such as whether their front foot was straying too far across or remaining too far back, leading to playing shots away from their body. These concerns have been troubling India, not only against Shaheen Afridi but also against left-arm swing bowlers from various teams worldwide.

After causing significant issues for India's top-order during the T20 Asia Cup and T20 World Cup previously, Shaheen Shah Afridi continued to pose challenges in Pallekele. Looking ahead to the World Cup, India will have to contend with not only Afridi but also formidable bowlers like Trent Boult from New Zealand, Mitchell Starc from Australia, Reece Topley and David Willey from England, Marco Jansen from South Africa, and Mustafizur Rahim from Bangladesh. All of these bowlers have the capability to swing the ball back into the right-handed batsmen, making them a formidable challenge.

Prior to the concern posed by Shaheen Afridi, the most recent discussion surrounding left-arm seamers was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, where Trent Boult became a prominent topic in pre-game conversations. During that match, India's top-order struggled against the right-arm deliveries of Matt Henry.

Indian team's preparation for the Asia Cup and World Cup in Sri Lanka has been hampered by persistent rain. With two matches affected and limited practice due to the weather, they resorted to focused training for Shaheen Afridi on Thursday ahead of the Super 4 stages starting in Colombo.

This Sunday offers India an opportunity for a course correction. If they stumble in this critical test, they may encounter further challenges at the World Cup.