Shubman Gill performs a shot on day 3 of the second Test towards England in Visakhapatnam on February 4, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Ok.R. Deepak
Shubman Gill overcame a lean patch to attain a positive hundred as India reached 227 for six at tea on day three of the second Test towards England to increase their result in 370 runs in Visakhapatnam on February 4.
India made 97 runs within the session courtesy an 89-run stand between Gill (104 off 147) and Axar Patel (45 off 84).
R Ashwin (1 batting) was enjoying alongside house crowd favorite Ok S Bharat (6 batting) on the break.
There aren’t any demons within the pitch and contemplating England’s batting method, India would need to bat for so long as attainable and set an enormous goal for the guests.
Gill stole the present with a 3rd Test hundred however Axar additionally seemed assured batting at quantity six. A back-foot punch adopted by a canopy drive off James Anderson at the beginning of the session set the tone for his innings.
Gill, who had accomplished his half century earlier than lunch, continued to assault the spinners.
Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed tried the around the wicket tactic however it didn’t work as Gill stepped out to smash him for a straight six earlier than unleashing the sweep and on-drive for again to again fours in the identical over.
The India quantity three received to 3 figures off Bashir within the 52nd over and his celebration was quite a muted one, as if he anticipated much more consistency out of himself. He had accomplished his first 50 plus rating in 13 innings.
England’s James Anderson bowls on day 3 of the second Test towards India in Visakhapatnam on February 4, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
Ok.R. Deepak
With Ben Stokes going for a brief mid-on and brief mid-wicket, Gill was trapped into enjoying a reverse sweep off Bashir. The ball deflected from Gill’s gloves and keeper Ben Foakes pouched a simple catch.
Closer to tea, Axar additionally departed after a flat ball from Hartley saved a tad low and as per replays, was crashing into the stumps.
In the morning, Anderson struck twice in a relentless spell earlier than Gill rode his luck to finish a much-needed half-century to take India to 130 for 4 at lunch.
Starting the day at 28 for no loss, India scored 102 runs within the session with the lack of Rohit Sharma (12), Yashasvi Jaiswal (17), Shreyas Iyer (29) and Rajat Patidar (9).
Gill survived two shut DRS calls in successive overs quickly after his arrival into the center to publish his first fifty plus rating in 13 innings.
The first half-hour of the morning session belonged to Anderson, who continues to lord over batters at 41 years of age.
The veteran pacer first eliminated Rohit with an unplayable ball that seamed away a contact to knock the Indian skipper’s off stump in his first over of the day earlier than getting the in-form Jaiswal caught at first slip with a full ball in his following over.
The first innings double centurion went by way of with the free drive and Joe Root did the remaining at first slip.
Gill and Iyer, each struggling for runs, discovered themselves within the center and ended up sharing an 81-run stand off 112 balls.
The India quantity three was tentative at the beginning and Anderson’s accuracy made him look extra weak. Gill first survived an in depth lbw name off Tom Hartley with the TV umpire overturning the on-field determination after recognizing an inside edge that the batter himself was undecided about.
In the subsequent over, an incoming ball from Anderson thudded into Gill’s knee roll and on this event umpire’s name saved Gill.
It appeared that was the stroke of luck that Gill desperately wanted as he grew in confidence from thereon. He stepped out for a straight six off Shoaib Bashir to get going earlier than utilizing is ft towards the opposite spinners.
Iyer too performed a number of strokes on the different finish earlier than a second of sheer brilliance from Ben Stokes despatched him again to the dressing room.
Seeing mid-off up, Iyer went aerial towards Hartley and Stokes confirmed nice athleticism to run backwards to pluck that catch out of skinny air.
Source: www.thehindu.com
