Dubai: India’s preparations for their high-voltage Asia Cup clash against Pakistan suffered a scare on Saturday when opener and vice-captain Shubman Gill was struck on the hand during training. Gill, who has been in fine touch, was seen in visible discomfort after the blow. The team physio immediately rushed to attend to him before he walked off the pitch. He later sat on the ice box, holding his injured hand. Captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir were spotted speaking with Gill after the incident, while teammate Abhishek Sharma stayed by his side and even helped him open a water bottle. The physio continued to monitor Gill as the session went on.Minutes later however, the 26-year-old was back in the nets and ready to face the next ball in training. The setback comes with less than 24 hours left before India face Pakistan in one of the most anticipated fixtures of the tournament at the Dubai International Stadium. Both teams head into the game with convincing wins in their opening matches. India demolished UAE by nine wickets, with Kuldeep Yadav (4/7) and Shivam Dube (3/4) running through the opposition before Gill and Abhishek wrapped up the chase in 4.3 overs. Pakistan too enjoyed a comfortable start, defeating Oman by 93 runs. The intensity around Sunday’s clash has already gone through the roof, with former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar predicting an aggressive approach from India. Speaking on Tapmad’s YouTube channel, Akhtar said: “What kind of cricket are they going to play against you? It’s pretty obvious they are going to dominate you, and then they’ll make sure to hammer you down. That’s as simple as it gets.”
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Gill’s condition will be closely watched as India brace for their biggest test yet in the Asia Cup.
