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‘Rohit Sharma was surprised. I told him that’s my shot…': Shubman Gill on audacious last-over six off Nathan Lyon
Shubman Gill's audacious six off Nathan Lyon in the last over of Day 2 in the fourth Test against Australia ‘surprised’ India captain Rohit Sharma, who was batting at the other end.
Shubman Gill danced down the track, got under the flighted delivery from Nathan Lyon and hit Australia's current leading wicket-taker straight over the back of his head for a six. Considering Ahmedabad's flat pitch and Gill's strength against off-spinners, it was a percentage shot and should not have surprised anyone. But the fact that it was the last over of the day's play, is what made it staggering. After Australia had put on a mammoth 480 in their first innings in the fourth Test, Gill and Rohit Sharma had a hard task of seeing off the remaining 10 overs of the day after spending nearly two days in Ahmedabad heat.
The Indian openers looked positive right from the onset. Both Gill and Rohit were quite severe to anything short from the Australian pacers Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green. It didn't take long for Steve Smith to turn to spin. Nathan Lyon got the deserved respect from the free flowing Indian batters but Gill stunned everyone by charging down the track to hit the seasoned pro over the top in the last over of Day 2.
It even took captain Rohit by surprise. "He was surprised. But I told him that's my shot. If an off-spinner is bowling on a good wicket, like the one we are playing on and the field was up to me. I thought that was my shot and I was confident that I would hit for a boundary," Gill told reporters at the end of Day 3.
Despite Rohit's dismissal for 35 in the first hour of Saturday, Gill carried on the good work and smashed a career-best 128 and Virat Kohli regained his form to fuel India's robust reply. Gill, playing his second match of the series, featured in three 50-plus partnerships to help India, who lead the series 2-1, reach 289-3 at stumps.
Kohli was batting on 59, his first test half-century in 16 innings, with Ravindra Jadeja on 16 at the other end and India still 191 behind. "Hopefully we'll bat well tomorrow and get some big score for us, and then you know anything can happen on day five," Gill told the broadcasters.
"Hopefully, the wicket will help our bowlers and if it does, we'll be trying to win this match. The pitch was pretty good to bat on... It was important for us to bat big and keep picking the singles whenever possible."
