Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli turn on the heat on Day 3 in Ahmedabad Test
There were times when Gill found it hard against a leg-side-packed cordon of fielders. But he was patient and then showed strokes which are genuine.
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Shubman Gill; Virat Kohli
Congratulations to Shubman Gill for his maiden Test ton at home against Australia in the fourth match of the BGT Series at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. On Day 3, when there was nothing in the pitch for the bowlers, where you could have even decided to land an Airbus aircraft on it without causing any damage, Gill and seasoned pro Virat Kohli caught the eye. They guided India to 289 for three in reply to Australia’s 480 in the first essay.
A lot of chatter has been about the pitch right through the series. For a change, today was about how Gill has blossomed, cracking a ton, which was beautiful in all ways. It is easy to look at this sleeping beauty of a track from beyond the boundary and think of scoring runs on it. If it was that easy, then India would have scored many more runs on Saturday. Gill’s fifth century in 2023, which has come in all formats speaks volumes about his capacity and capability. Yet, a maiden Test ton in India, 128 runs, off 235 balls defined his appetite and application.
It would not be an exaggeration to state that in the company of Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli, Gill would have learned a lot. The former India captain was unbeaten at 59, plotting a batathon with Ravindra Jadeja for company. Batting in Test cricket is very different. Fans of Gill have seen the young man explode, like a Formula One car at the start.
Batting in Tests is different in so many ways. The kind of field placement that the Aussies had employed for a major part of the day was negative, with seven on the leg side. As much as it was a sign of their negative mindset, it was also a reflection of how the Aussie bowlers realized plying their trade on this track was not at all easy. There was no spin, turn, or unpredictable bounce. If anything, Nathan Lyon may have tried to use the rough created by a left-arm fast bowler leaving “marks.”
Yet, in the ultimate analysis, the day belonged to men who put a price on their wicket. No narration is complete without describing the hard work put in by Pujara and Gill. Pujara was dull and dour but you do not expect him to be a stroke-maker when there are 280 runs to be scored first to avoid a follow-on. The Saurashtra batter is old school, he likes to grind, which was evident from his stay at the crease. Pujara scored 42 off 121 balls, so typical of him and much needed.
To grab the opener’s spot was not easy for Shubman Gill
In the heat of Ahmedabad, at 36 degrees plus Centrigrade, batters have to concentrate hard and tackle the bowling. In the first three Tests, all matches were over by the third day. This time, one got to see fluid batting from the Aussies and Indians. To those who swear by white-ball cricket thrills, this may have been boring. No, not for the purists, who enjoyed the grammar of Pujara’s batting and the strokes produced by Gill.
Sample this, Gill had been kept waiting in the wings by KL Rahul. To grab that opener’s spot was not easy. Gill did not come good in the Indore Test but showed he was going to milk the conditions at the Narendra Modi Stadium where pace and spin were handled with felicity. There were times when he found it hard against a leg-side-packed cordon of fielders. But he was patient and then showed strokes which are genuine.
To say that Gill is hungry would be an understatement. He talked about how the IPL is coming up and he would like to score runs in it! Well, if Gill was hungry, Kohli was ready to assess and play. He has batted with the great application all along in this series. Sadly, he was unable to get a half-ton.
On Saturday, he made up for it, using his feet against the spinners and relying on tons of experience to stay unbeaten on 59. It may be tempting to predict a 100 on Sunday but Kohli will be in no hurry. Viewed strategically, Ravindra Jadeja being promoted up the order was sensible as the left-right combination hassled the Aussie bowlers, even after the second new ball was taken.
For India, up 2-1 in the series, a spot in the ICC Test Championship finals is at stake, and very much on the cards. The next two days are important for fans as they have got to see Tests ending in three days till now at home. There is nothing in the track for the bowlers, quite different from what was witnessed in Nagpur, New Delhi, and Indore. From India’s point of view, this is good.
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