The extra time in preparation definitely helps - Shubman Gill on India’s ongoing transition

India will be playing their 600th Test match, marking a historic milestone. The landmark clash comes against Sri Lanka tomorrow, as the two teams meet in Galle for the series opener.

The visitors will be playing a Test match after nine years in Sri Lanka, which makes the conditions slightly tricky for a team in transition.

Team India’s captain Shubman Gill opened up on why the additional time for practice will be a massive step for India, especially considering the youngsters in the squad.

Talking at the pre-match press conference, Gill highlighted the challenges for the Indian youngsters and the way around them.

Gill said, “It’s never easy for the players to be able to adapt, and most of the players in this team I think require a bit of time to be able to adjust to the conditions. It is not like a lot of the players have a lot of matches or a lot of experience under their belt, so the extra time in preparation definitely helps.”

He also explained how external factors will play a part in Galle, stating, “In grounds like this, which are open, wind sometimes plays a crucial part. As a batsman, even in team meetings we talk about if we want to take on a spinner, we have to see if the wind is with us or against us. How can we use that condition in our favour rather than trying to go against that? Maybe that is one of the differences between playing in Sri Lanka and India - most of the grounds in India are closed with the stands. In open grounds, the wind plays a huge role.”