India’s top order once again crumbled under pressure to give Australia an advantage in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Gabba, Brisbane. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli played loose shots to give away their wickets on a platter. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has not taken too kindly to how Shubman Gill gave away his wicket by going for a fancy shot just minutes after coming to the crease.
Mitchell Starc bowled a good length delivery well outside the off stump, and Gill went for a big booming drive well away from his body. The ball flew off the outside edge, but Mitchell Marsh leapt to his left at the gully, plucking the ball out of thin air.
What was shocking about the shot was that it was just Gill’s third ball in the innings, and he went for such an expansive shot so quickly in his innings. This fact has not pleased Sunil Gavaskar, with the India great saying players need to keep their “image” in the dressing room.
“Leave your image in the dressing room. Certain shots are dangerous at the start of your innings before you are set, and you don’t have the measure of what the wicket is doing,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
“Keep all those shots in your back pocket. Take them out when you are 30-40-50 not out, then can you get those shots again,” he added.
Speaking further about Gill, Gavaskar said, “Not very good shot selection, you could say. It was a very good catch, so there was a little bit of bad luck as well over there. But he could have left that ball alone; it would have gone harmlessly to the wicketkeeper. Gill is now back in the dugout.”
India firmly on the back foot in the Gabba Test
Australia is firmly ahead in the Gabba Test against India, and the hosts can go 2-1 up in the five-match series. Day 3 was hit by rain, but India fell far behind in the game.
Australia raced to 445 runs in the first innings as Alex Carey chipped in with a handy knock of 70 after centuries by Steve Smith (101) and Travis Head (152).
Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins broke the back of India’s batting by dismissing Jaiswal, Gill, Kohli and Rishabh Pant. Only KL Rahul looked slightly comfortable in the middle.
KL Rahul now has the support of Rohit Sharma in the middle, and the duo will look to take the fight to Australia on Day 4 of the Test. Rain is predicted on both the remaining days of the
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