Adelaide, Dec 6 2024-
Former Australia spinner Stuart Clark believes India top-order batter Shubman Gill factionally losing his concentration resulted in him being dismissed by Scott Boland on day one of day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval on Friday.
Gill, who made a return after missing Perth Test due to a left thumb injury, hit five gorgeous boundaries and showed no signs of rust, especially after hitting a fifty in the pink-ball practice game at the Manuka Oval in Canberra.
But on the first ball of the 22nd over, Gill shuffled across to flick a half-volley from Boland, but he missed the ball and was plumb lbw for 31 off 51 balls. Gill had faced just two of last 29 balls before his dismissal to Boland, which explained the manner in which he fell.
“I don’t know what he was doing? It’s hit the maker’s name at the bottom of the pad. You’ve missed a half-volley, Shubman. I don’t know why he wanted to refer it. He must have thought he was outside the line, but the problem there, I think he got too caught up in trying to slow down the game.
“I think he distracted himself. In the middle of the over he wandered down (to talk to Rishabh Pant) and you could tell they were trying to slow the game down. And he just fractionally, I believe, lost concentration,” said Clark on ABC Radio.
Gill was one of the four Indian wickets to fall in the first session as the visitors’ suffered a late wobble to be at 82/4. The session seemed to be ending in India’s favour, but the collapse meant it dramatically fell in Australia’s favour by the time dinner break came.
“I think ‘frenzy’ is a good word. We’ve pretty much seen it all in the first session. It’s going to be certainly a Test match that moves at a great rate. There’s enough in this wicket and, with the atmospheric conditions, it looks like it’s going to be hard work for batting,” added Clark. (Agency)
Also Read: 2nd Test: Mitchell Starc picks 3-31 as Australia reduce India to 82/4
