4th Test: Shubman Gill Ton Powers India's Reply But Australia Still Ahead In Ahmedabad

11.03.2023 - 16:41 sports.ndtv.com

Shubman Gill's sparkling century and an unbeaten 59 by Virat Kohli kept India strong in their first innings reply against a persistent Australian spin attack in the fourth Test on Saturday.

India reached 289-3 at stumps, still trailing Australia's 480 by 191 runs on day three at the world's biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.

Gill stood out with his 128 -- the opener's second Test ton -- as he built key partnerships including a 113-run stand for the second wicket with Cheteshwar Pujara, who made 42.

Spinners kept coming back with wickets as Nathan Lyon, Matthew Kuhnemann and Todd Murphy took one each on a pitch favouring the batsmen.

cricket 2023 Ahmedabad Test Nathan Lyon Steve Smith Virat Kohli Rohit Sharma Cheteshwar Pujara Shubman Gill Matthew Kuhnemann Todd Murphy Australia India Ahmedabad county Power

One of the finest opening batters India have had over the last 5-7 years, Shikhar Dhawan finds himself in an unfamiliar territory where he is no longer in the scheme of things in the Indian team in any of the three formats. While it's been a while since Dhawan had played T20Is or Tests for India, he still remained a vital cog in the ODI team. However, following a string of unimpressive performances for the national team in the 50-over format, Dhawan lost his place in the team in ODIs as well.

India vs Australia, 3rd ODI: Adam Zampa, Ashton Agar Star As Clinical Australia Hand India Rare Series Defeat At Home

The Indian batting unit once again choked under relentless pressure from the Australian spinners as the visitors clinched the three-match ODI series 2-1 with a comfortable 21-run victory, here on Wednesday. Chasing a stiff target of 270 on a tricky pitch, India were all out for 248 in 49.1 overs as Australia came back in the series after losing the first ODI by five wickets. The series defeat is an indicator that the Indian team is far from prepared for the World Cup and there are too many loose ends that needs to be tied.

Watch: Shubman Gill Screams In Frustration After Getting Out For A Duck In 2nd ODI

Shubman Gill had a horrible start to the ODI series against Australia in Mumbai and things did not improve in the second match as he was dismissed by Mitchell Starc for a duck on Sunday. Gill was guilty of chasing a ball outside the off stump and Marnus Labuschagne completed a sharp catch at backward point to spell an unceremonious end to his innings. The young opener was visibly upset with himself for playing such a rash shot and he burst out a loud shout in anger after the dismissal.

Watch: Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill's Bromance While Fielding During 4th Test Against Australia

Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill were in the spotlight during India's innings in the ongoing fourth and final Test match against Australia. While the rising star Gill shone with his 128-run knock at the start of the innings, the batting veteran Kohli raced to his 28th Test century (186 runs) -- a hundred in the format after more than three years. Both the batters used the friendly conditions at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad beautifully to their advantage. The duo, however, is also being talked about due to a bromance video that has gone viral on the internet.

Watch: Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara Bowl For India, Sunil Gavaskar's Comment Is Gold

Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara both turned bowlers for India in the final overs on Day 5 of the fourth Test match against Australia in Ahmedabad on Monday. With the match headed for a draw, India skipper Rohit Sharma opted for unconventional bowling choices, but the duo did not disappoint as commentators were left impressed by their discipline. While Shubman Gill kept bowling on the stumps with his off-spin, Pujara's action and bowling style reminded former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar of legendary Australia spinner Shane Warne. Both players bowled one over each in the final session.

Watch: Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill's Bromance While Fielding During 4th Test Against Australia