Kohli fits in too!

India’s Shubman Gill during a training session before the T20I game against New Zealand in Wellington last year; (right) India’s Virat Kohli during a training session ahead of the ICC World Test Championship final at Arundel, UK, last June. Pics/Getty Images

This is being written before the India v Pakistan clash in Sri Lanka. As usual, it's been hyped up as the best rivalry in the world in cricket. It certainly gets even the non-cricket followers in both countries also interested even if it's just for the day, because of the history between the two countries but also the political mileage that can be derived out of it. The players over the years know that they will be made tools by those in both countries who really have no interest in the game but to promote their own agenda.

Ashes, a huge hit

The second biggest and the oldest rivalry in cricket is between England and Australia which is for the Ashes. The Ashes series that concluded recently was a huge hit with record crowds coming every day and seeing some really riveting cricket. The Aussies were no doubt surprised by the aggression that the English batters showed and so they resorted to short-pitched bowling which after some time becomes predictable and makes the game boring.

The bowlers also get tired quickly because the bouncer takes more effort and so, the exhaustion comes quicker. When Steve Smith started to struggle, the Aussie batting fell apart. Mark Woods's bowling and the way the Aussies couldn't handle it, showed that even if you play quick bowling in your domestic cricket, when you come across it at the international level it's entirely different to cope with.

A good move from BCCI

The Indian team will be fresh after a short break from the game. They were at a 10-day camp which is great to get some team bonding done. It was very smart of the BCCI to have it away from the main city which meant that the players would stay with each other in the evenings and that's where a great spirit can be developed.

Also read: India vs Pakistan: No rooms, high-priced tickets and a 15-minute media briefing!

There was a lot of excitement when Kohli put out his YoYo score which was more than the limit that the BCCI trainers had set. This was followed by the young Shubman Gill posting an even better score. While this was by no means one-upmanship, one mustn't forget the age difference between the two and admire the elder for the standard of his fitness. The BCCI then directed that nobody should post their YoYo test scores which might have actually saved some blushes for some. If it is true that unless the minimum standard of the YoYo test is not met, then the player is not eligible for selection then it's all the more important for this test to be done in the public domain so that the public that follows the game in their millions know that there are no players who have not met the minimum standard in the team. On a lighter note, if those players who haven't met the minimum YoYo test limit go out and score heaps of runs or take lots of wickets it will prove that always cricket ability is more important than some physical test set by a trainer who can't bat or bowl himself.

Be that as it may, cricket lovers can look forward to a cricketing bonanza over the next three months. It's going to be too exciting for words, so just sit back and enjoy it.

Professional Management Group