PTI
KOLKATA
India skipper Virat Kohli and comeback man Gautam Gambhir seem to have moved on from their bitter IPL spat as the Delhi duo was seen sharing a few light moments on the eve of the second Test against New Zealand.
Gambhir, who joined the team Wednesday evening as a replacement for injured opener Lokesh Rahul, stood alongside Wriddhiman Saha and Ravichandran Ashwin while a padded up Kohli quickly joined them. The fans witnessed ugly spat between Kohli and Gambhir during the 2013 season during a match in Bangalore. On Thursday they were seen in a lengthy discussion peppered with some laughs.
Drafted into the Test side after more than two years, Gambhir was later seen chatting with team India coach Anil Kumble even as he did not bat long in the nets. The 34-year-old's turn to bat at the nets came last along with R Ashiwn, who did not bowl to recover from the corn - thickened skin - on his middle finger of the bowling arm.
The duo faced only a few deliveries in the fag end of the two-hour practice but skipper Kohli later clarified that no inference could be drawn from the practice session. Kohli said sometimes the batting order was followed but it is not necessary that people who have not batted for long during the nets, won't play.
"Day before the game we definitely look to do that with the batting order. It can differ from player to player. Sometimes a player doesn't want to bat in the nets. He just wants throwdowns and then walk away.
"You won't see him entering the nets, that doesn't mean he won't play. Day before the Test we look to bat the batting order how would be but at the same time if someone wants to pull out that doesn't mean he won't play. It's just the preparation preference that an individual has before a game," Kohli said.
Gambhir's stint at the two-hour net session also included giving some catching practice at the start to Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan.
