India vs Australia: Kohli Bats Twice, Bumrah Impresses in 3-Day Simulation at WACA Ahead of BGT Series

Day 1 featured a competitive contest, while Day 2 combined match scenarios with net sessions. Indian pacers dominated, giving frequent struggles for key batters like Kohli, Gill, and Pant. Kohli, dismissed for 15 on the first day, batted again on Day 2, scoring an unbeaten 30 in his second outing.

Assistant coach Abhishek Nayar explained that head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma opted for flexible rules, focusing on simulating game-like conditions while offering additional practice opportunities. He said

“Just before we came to Australia, Gauti bhai and Rohit had a discussion about what we wanted from these three days. The idea was to make sure that the experienced and younger guys got a lot of time in the center to adapt and understand the conditions. We are coming here and playing Test cricket after 4 years. Initially, we got the guys to come in, had it like a game, where you got out, you got out……..Day 2 was quite similar where we were also using the facilities outside in the nets, getting the quantity and quality down in the center. Day 2 was about our bowlers coming and bowling spells, bowling 15 overs each, Boom (Bumrah) bowled 18 overs. It was about getting the guys into game sense.”

Bowlers, including Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, were also in action, with Bumrah delivering 18 overs to fine-tune his rhythm ahead of the Perth Test. The rigorous session underscored India’s commitment to ironing out flaws and ensuring readiness for the high-stakes Border-Gavaskar series opener.