published by, Akash Biswas
Last Update: March 11, 2023, 12:43 PM IST
IND vs AUS, 4th Test, Day 3: India reached 1291 at lunch (AP Photo)
India lost the wicket of its captain Rohit Sharma. The hosts are still 351 runs behind Australia’s first innings score of 480.
Young Shubman Gill justified his inclusion in the playing XI with a brilliant half-century as India reached 129 for one at lunch on the third day of the fourth cricket Test against Australia on Saturday.
India still trail Australia’s first innings score of 480 by 351 runs.
India lost the wicket of their skipper Rohit Sharma (35 off 58 balls), who squandered a golden opportunity to post a big score on the best batting surface of the series.
Gill (65 batting, 119 balls) and Rohit added 74 runs for the first wicket.
Sharma looked in good flow as he pulled Mitchell Starc behind square for a six and ran well between the wickets during his 21-over stand.
The manner of the dismissals was disappointing as deliveries from left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnmann (1/20) were not wicket-taking.
It was pitched short and Sharma could have hit it anywhere, but his back-foot punch found Marnus Labuschagne, who was positioned at short extra cover for that particular shot.
Gill had no trouble tackling the Australian attack as he found a steady partner in Cheteshwar Pujara (22 not out), who showed more purpose at the crease during his unbroken stand of 55.
The opener hit five fours and a six while Pujara smashed a boundary off off-spinner Todd Murphy through cover.
Towards the end of the session, Murphy had a traditional off-break that missed Gill’s bat, bails as well as wicket-keeper Alex Carey’s gloves.
The fast bowlers are not getting much help from the track and both Starc and Cameron Green did not make much use of the short ball strategy. The pitch is still on the slow side and the pace from the track is not much to rush the batsmen to play their strokes.
There is all the time in the world to rock back either to play a cut or to play a punch from the off side or to play a pull in front or behind square.
Gill made his first 40 runs quick but slowed down after that.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)
