The Indian national cricket team underwent a tough and demanding training session at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala on Saturday (December 13) ahead of the third T20I against South Africa. India lost the second match by 51 runs, and they now aim to bounce back strongly in Dharamshala.
As reported by the Times of India, Suryakumar Yadav and his team’s training lasted almost three and a half hours and as the session progressed, the pressure within the camp became evident. Dharamshala is known for its high-scoring matches, but the pitch also offers swing, seam movement and extra bounce.
India sweats in Dharamsala after heavy defeat in second T20I
This mix can confuse hitters, especially under the lights, and the Men in Blue planned their practice with these conditions in mind. The main emphasis in the nets was technique. Each hitter was asked to slow things down and work on the bases rather than hitting with power.
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Washington Sundar was among the first to hit the nets. After Sundar and Sanju Samson completed their training, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav and vice-captain Shubman Gill practiced hard. Both batters practiced at all four nets, facing different bowlers and situations.
Suryakumar Yadav’s 90-minute reset in Dharamsala
Suryakumar batted for over 90 minutes, almost the duration of a full T20 innings. The drills they followed were more like those seen in training academies, with a strong emphasis on footwork, balance and shot control. At first, big hits weren’t the priority.
The aim of the net sessions was to perfect the technique of each batter.
SKY, Gill got attention.
SKY struck for over 90 minutes
They did exercises that you see more in academies where you work on the nuances of solid technique.
Gill worked on back kicks https://t.co/6x0RhEmqGg-Arani Basu (@AraniBasuTOI) December 14, 2025
Struggling Suryakumar, known for his creative strokeplay, avoided his usual ramps and risky shots against the pacers. Instead, the stylish hitter has focused on using a straight bat and compact defense as he aims to get back among the scores in the third T20I.
The Indian captain experimented with sweeps and spins, but quickly adapted when he started missing the ball against the spinners. Additionally, Suryakumar worked on playing straight and practiced shooting backwards to find safer scoring areas.
Shubman Gill struggles in the nets as pressure mounts on his T20I form
On the other hand, Shubman Gill, who is facing the heat due to his poor form with the bat in the format, has had a long spell as a traditional batting man in front of the nets. The Indian Test and ODI captain has spent more time facing the new moving ball, which has hampered him of late.
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However, balls bowled a good length outside off stump too often caught Gill’s edge. During the session, the right-handed hitter focused on backhand punches, played the ball late and used uppercuts to take advantage of the pitch during the power play.
Later, Jitesh Sharma comes out with Hardik Pandya for a short power session under the lights at the center field of the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.
Jasprit Bumrah gets back to basics with an intense solo session
Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah also had a serious session of solo bowling at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala after struggling to deliver his yorkers in the second T20I against South Africa. Usually, Bumrah skips optional practices the day before matches, but this time he decided to put in some extra work.
For around 45 minutes, the ace Indian fast bowler played at full intensity, focusing only on his yorkers. There were no batters, just cones, stumps, a camera and bowling coach Morne Morkel closely monitoring Bumrah during his intense session.
Bumrah resorted to boot and cone drills to exercise his lethal yorkers.
Fascinating to see how man continues to work to improve himself. https://t.co/4kZGRGVGB0-Arani Basu (@AraniBasuTOI) December 14, 2025
Bumrah has long been known for his deadly yorkers, but after the second T20I against South Africa, the Indian pacer wanted to fix the problem and make a comeback. With technique, discipline and belief, India are getting back to basics, strengthening their skills and preparing to make a comeback.
