You know the demands of modern cricket are shifting when training sessions focus more on attacking shots rather than getting the eye in.
Three minutes into their batting stints, Ishan Kishan was already reverse-sweeping, Nitish Kumar Reddy middled a slog sweep into the stands, and India-A captain Tilak Varma launched a net bowler straight towards the media centre here at the Niranjan Shah Stadium on the eve of the second one-day game against South Africa A.
This is how the new generation has grown up batting — taking on bowlers from ball one. But India-A isn’t a one-dimensional unit.
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s composed century in the first game showed the value of adapting to conditions, especially on a pitch where the absence of dew brought bowlers into play more than usual.
– Sahil Mathur