There is a certain ethereal elegance to Shubman Gill’s batting that challenges, if not defies, description. He isn’t necessarily a straight-liner, but that hardly detracts from the quality of his stroke-production. And while he is a product of the modern era, he fuses his innovativeness with old-world orthodoxy.
All of Gill’s virtues were on view at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday, the middle day of the final Test. Having bided his time with the team management opting for KL Rahul for the first two Tests, Gill responded with a subliminal second Test century to keep India well in the hunt on another day when wickets were at a premium.
India still 191 runs behind
Overnight 36 without loss, India batted with little discomfort and fewer alarms, finishing on 289 for three with Virat Kohli making a welcome return to run-scoring ways. India are now 191 behind Australia’s 480 and, with two days left and the surface showing the odd signs of wear and tear, if only slowly, possibilities abound even if a stalemate might look the obvious conclusion at the moment.
Australia plugged away manfully, Steven Smith setting smart fields that were a far cry from the conventional because regulating field placements weren’t going to bring any joy. Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy toiled all day long and had only a wicket apiece to show for their efforts, while Matt Kuhnemann, somewhat under-bowled, picked up a bonus wicket in the form of Rohit Sharma, the Indian skipper falling against the run of play to a loose shot off an innocuous delivery.
Openers start aggressively
Rohit and Gill had begun aggressively in the morning when the ball was new, picking off a series of boundaries, but once the skipper departed after a stand of 74, the tempo understandably dropped. Gill is essentially a fluent boundary-scorer, but he had to curb his natural instincts in deference to the conditions. Batting time comes naturally to Cheteshwar Pujara; India only added 59 in the middle session, but there were no obvious signs of frustration.
Pujara hung around long enough to celebrate Gill’s ton, falling just before tea to end an alliance of 113, and Kohli faced a torrid last four balls to the interval, beaten on both edges by Lyon. After the interval, though, the former captain was a man transformed, fluent and decisive in his movements, playing the ball right under his nose and urging first Gill and then Ravindra Jadeja to do the same. Fatigue, as much as anything else, accounted for Gill, who was trapped in front by Lyon, but with Jadeja, Kohli made sure the theme of meaningful partnerships continued.
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With a brace to fine-leg, Kohli heralded a first Test fifty in 16 innings and looked hungry for more. Will the century drought end tomorrow?
113
No. of runs put on by Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara for the second wicket
Brief scores
Australia 480 all out v India 289-3 (S Gill 128, V Kohli 59*, C Pujara 42; M Kuhnemann 1-43)
