Abhishek Sharma mesmerises with range hitting, Arshdeep focuses on fitness drills

Dubai, Sep 9 (PTI) Abhishek Sharma’s brutal yet beautiful stroke-play was the highlight of India’s optional net session on Tuesday, while left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh was put through fitness drills under the watchful eye of strength and conditioning coach Adrian Le Roux.

Since it was an optional training day at the ICC Academy, senior players Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson and pacer Harshit Rana chose to take a break.

However, the spotlight was firmly on Abhishek.

The young left-hander didn’t muscle the ball much but he relied on supreme hand-eye coordination to send deliveries soaring into the orbit, many landing well outside the practice facility.

Abhishek practically turned the nets into a “range-hitting” exhibition — a golf parlance often borrowed by cricket.

Over the course of an hour-long batting stint, he clobbered at least 25 to 30 sixes, making it nearly impossible for those watching to take their eyes off.

Vice-captain Shubman Gill too looked in good touch, caressing quick bowlers inside-out over extra cover with his trademark grace.

However, one thunderbolt from a local net bowler sneaked past his defences and uprooted the off-stump, a rare blemish in an otherwise polished session.

Arshdeep goes through paces ===================== Arshdeep was the first to enter the nets but chose to focus more on his fitness than bowling.

Under Le Roux’s supervision, he went through a series of repeat sprint and shuttle drills with cones placed at 10, 20 and 40 metres — a routine once popularly known as “Repeat Sprints” in the 1990s, but now more commonly referred to as the “Bronco Test.” Unlike the high-intensity bursts usually expected in these drills, Arshdeep jogged through most of them at a relaxed pace, with bowling coach Morne Morkel walking alongside for company.

PTI can confirm that during his stint at the BCCI CoE in Bengaluru, Arshdeep had topped the Bronco test among the fast bowlers.

Jitesh sharpens reflexes ================ With Samson opting to rest after an indifferent outing on Monday, wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma continued his grind.

Under fielding coach T. Dilip, he worked on reflex “no-look” catching drills — a routine where the keeper stands with hands parallel to the ground as the coach drops the ball from close range.

The challenge is to pluck the ball inches before it touches the ground without watching its trajectory, purely relying on instinct and reaction time. PTI KHS UNG