The second was a forward defense to a full incoming ball from Pat Cummins. The ball bounced off Gill’s bat and nearly reached the boundary strings, resulting in three runs for the batter. It was clear that Gill also has a solid enough defensive game.
The third shot came as a scintillating-footed Gill leapt down the court onto Nathan Lyon’s sharply turning pitch and drove him to the right of the middle fielder to mark the limit. That proved that dealing with spin and attacking quality bowlers was a piece of cake for Gill.
Day 2, however, was not so decisive for Gill. He was often hit on the inside edge. Australian captain Tim Paine rejected an easy catch at Josh Hazlewood’s bowling alley. But, he somehow managed to get rid of Hazlewood, who cast four overs on his first spell.
At the other extreme, Pat Cummins followed for two more on her first spell. It was the final ball of the sixth on Cummins that Gill went for a covering hit until a delivery that was on the sixth or seventh stump. Gill passed the ball to Paine and an inning that promised much more came to an end. Later, Gill realized and honestly admitted his error in judgment.
“I’m not very happy with the way it came out. It was the last ball of Cummins’ spell and I should have fired it. It was a loose shot at the time,” Gill said. “But in general, my goal was to play with intention and create partnerships, and I managed to some extent.”
“When I came in to hit, there was something in the wicket and the field was quite lively. The only thing I said to myself was that it doesn’t matter what happens in terms of the field or what happens around me, I should be able to play my game. and I should be able to express myself. My goal was to play with intention. That was my thought process throughout my innings. ”
The Melbourne Test might be Gill’s first, but he has been with the Indian Test team since September 2019 when he won his first call. The young man said in front of the “highest quality” Indian fast bowlers in the networks helped him prepare for his debut.
“I’ve been traveling with the team for the last four to five test rounds. Being with the team helped me a lot … to be able to settle into the team,” Gill said. “I’ve been doing all my net sessions and practice sessions. In order to bowl like Boom (Jasprit bumrah), Shami bhai, Umesh bhai or Ishant bhai in the networks, it is a great confidence booster for a young man. All of them are top quality. That’s why when I went out to hit, I really didn’t feel like I was in a whole new place. ”
He may be a starter, but Gill will be “happy to hit where the team wants him to hit” in the future if a selection puzzle comes up.
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