Shubman Gill. (Photo Source: Getty Images)
Shubman Gill returned to action during the warm-up encounter between India and Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra and scored a majestic half-century. On Sunday, December 1, the pink-ball affair, which was reduced to a 46-over per side contest, saw the Rohit Sharma-led side winning the toss and opting to bowl first.
Shubman missed the first Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 after fracturing his left thumb in the intra-squad match simulation ahead of the clash. However, the youngster showed signs of recovery as he played a fluent knock of 50 runs off 62 balls, hitting seven boundaries at the Manuka Oval. He came out to bat at No. 3 after the fall of Yashasvi Jaiswal’s wicket. The southpaw, who scored a 59-ball 45, was dismissed in the 17th over.
Shubman eventually retired hurt after reaching his half-century to give his fellow batters a chance to hone their skills against the pink ball under the lights. The Punjab batter’s knock will give the team management and the Indian fans a lot of confidence heading into the second Test, which is scheduled to be played at the Adelaide Oval, starting on Friday, December 6. The Asian giants are leading the five-match series 1-0 after winning the first Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth by 295 runs.
The Prince has arrived! @ShubmanGill starts strong, bringing up a stylish half-century against Australia 🙌🏼#AUSvINDonStar Warm-up match 👉 LIVE NOW on Star Sports! #ToughestRivalry pic.twitter.com/Tl8S34j5zr
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 1, 2024
How did the Indian players fare in the warm-up match?
Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl first. The Aussies played an attacking brand of cricket as Sam Konstas scored a brilliant 107 off 97 balls to give the selectors another gentle reminder of his enormous talent. Konstas’ partnership of 109 off 103 balls with Jack Clayton (40) was a treat to watch as the Indian bowlers struggled to contain them.
However, Harshit Rana took four wickets in six balls to turn the game on its head. Batting at No. 9, Hanno Jacobs scored a 60-ball 61 as the Prime Minister’s XI side was bowled out for 240 in 43.2 overs.
Also Check: WATCH: Harshit Rana strikes four wickets in six balls ahead of pink ball Test against Australia
Apart from Yashasvi and Shubman, Nitish Reddy and Washington Sundar impressed with the bat as they scored 42 runs apiece. The two all-rounders scored at strike rates of 131.25 and 116.67, respectively. However, Rohit and Sarfaraz Khan were dismissed for single-digit scores. Ravindra Jadeja looked good during his 27-run knock but was eventually dismissed by part-timer Matthew Renshaw.