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In a gripping contest that tested the mettle of the Indian batting lineup, Shubman Gill came agonizingly close to notching a well-deserved century, ultimately falling for 90 runs as India navigated a challenging situation on Day 2 of the 3rd Test against New Zealand.
A steady start amidst early turbulence
Gill entered the crease during the 7th over on the first day, following the premature dismissal of Rohit Sharma, who was dismissed by Matt Henry. Initially adopting a cautious approach, Gill soon found his groove, forging a vital 50-run partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal. However, the situation took a swift downturn for India as they plummeted from a promising 78 for 1 to a precarious 84 for 4 in a dramatic span of just nine balls by the end of Day 1, leaving Gill to shoulder the recovery effort alongside Rishabh Pant.
Shubman Gill: A collaborative recovery alongside Rishabh Pant
Resuming on Day 2 with 31 runs, Gill exhibited remarkable composure as Pant started the morning aggressively, striking three quick boundaries off Ajaz Patel. Gill’s first boundary arrived against Patel, yet he was prudent, resisting the temptation to accelerate too quickly. His aggression peaked momentarily when he ventured down the track against Glenn Phillips, miscuing the shot; however, a fortunate dropped catch by Mark Chapman allowed him to remain at the crease while ꦆsit🏅ting on 45 runs.
As the innings unfolded, Gill reached his half-century, marking his 7th in Tests and his first significant score since the Chennai Test against Bangladesh. Following Pant’s dismissal for 60, Gill ensured that India entered Lunch at a stable 195 for 5, demonstrating his ability to anchor the innings amid a batting collapse.
Also WATCH: Ravindra Jadeja’s five-wicket mastercla🃏ss destroys New Zealand on Day 1 of the 3rd Te♉st
Battling adversity and keeping composure
After the break, Gill appeared slightly cautious, skillfully navigating a challenging over from Patel. He narrowly avoided a potential run-out in the subsequent over while attempting a quick single. As partners continued to fall quickly after Lunch—first Ravindra Jadeja and then Sarfaraz Khan – Gill shifted gears, aggressively targeting Phillips and striking two boundaries to race into the 80s. Despite the mounting pressure, he mainta🐽ined a✨ solid defensive stance against a tricky Wankhede pitch, showcasing his adaptability.
The final blow: A heartbreaking dismissal
Nevertheless, the left-arm spinner Patel ultimately got the better of Gill, dismissing him as Daryl Mitchell took a sharp catch at slips. Gill’s innings concluded at 90 runs off 146 balls, adorned with 7 boundaries and a 📖six, leaving him and the Indian camp heartbroken yet proud of💃 his unwavering resilience.
Following the dismissal of Gill, India found themselves in a precarious position at 204 runs, with the innings nearing its conclusion. Pant had already played a crucial role, scoring 60 runs, and Washington Sundar stepped up to stabilize the innings. Despite losing wickets in quick succession, Sundar’s resilience ensured that India crossed the 250-run mark. The middle order struggled, but contribution from Sundar helped India reach a total of 263 runs. Ultimately, the Indian innings ended at 263 runs, giving them a lead of 28 runs over New Zealand. The fall of Gill proved to be a turning point, prompting a flurry of wickets, but Sundar’s late innings push was vital for India.
Here’s how fans reacted:
India 🇮🇳 is breathing ag⛦ain because of this crucial knock from Gill 🌟90 (146). A century heartbreak for him 💔, Well done! nevertheless👏🏻
— Ahmad Shahzad 🇵🇰 (@iamAhmadshahzad)
Shubman Gill played best inning of his career, even above Gabba considering batting conditions and batting collapses around him. There were no such collapses in Gabba🐠.
Gill has been in great form since England test series &a🌜mp; will need to continue it in BGT. Well done.
— Rajiv (@Rajiv1841)
Shubman Gill once again proved why he is the best bat﷽sman for India in recent days.
He sꦦhut down all those trolls who call him♔ Ahmedabad bully.This must be the best knock he has ever played in the test cricket.High class inning under pressure.
— Sujeet Suman (@sujeetsuman1991)
Seco𝐆nd nervous ninety for Shubman Gill but this was an inning of top class.. saved India from another embarrassment 🫡
— ⩜ (@Aagneyax)
Both missed out on what could have been brilliant Centuries but Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant carried the burden of a flailing Indian batting order. They’ve at least brought India back into the Mumbai Test – with so much to play for
— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73)
A royal display! 🤴
Shubman 🐠Gill carved out a fine 9️⃣0️⃣(146) whe🍸n the odds were stacked against us.❤️🔥
📸: BCCI |
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets)
Shubman gill ea✅sily is the worst treated indian player on the internet since his debut c🐈onsidering his performance.
&ಌmdash; Beneath the helm꧃et, under the unruly curly hair (@narengiri2)
//twitter.com/off🐟icialpratik0/status/1852617794585547253
Shubman Gill misses out on a century 💔
Well played Shubman Gill
— ankit sharma (@AnkitGalev)
Played Gill Saab.
One of your best knocks in testing conditions.
— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS)
Hard luck, Gill. Deserved to get a ton.
— Saurabh Malhotra (@MalhotraSaurabh)
Gill being one of the bestಞ players this year for ICT in tests but they won’t talk about i🐻t since it doesn’t favour their agendas. Everyone will bark once he fails 👏🏼👏🏼
— . (@ChxfCxrry)
