Rain curtails second session of Day 1 in the 5th Test, eliminating substantial play time; Gill succumbs to run-out incident.
The 5th Test between England and India at The Oval witnessed a significant turning point on Day 1, with Shubman Gill's run out proving to be a major setback for the Indian team.
Gill, who had been India's most solid batter over the course of the series, was the second wicket to fall. After the rain break, Gill played a cover drive off Jamie Overton to get going, but his innings was cut short in a shocking and costly manner.
Trying to take a risky single off Gus Atkinson's bowling, despite there being no real opportunity for a run, Gill was run out in a suicidal manner. Sai Sudharsan blocked the single, but Gill had already crossed the halfway mark, leading to a direct throw from Atkinson that caught him short of the crease.
This dismissal had a significant negative impact on India's batting performance. It came at a crucial time when both Gill and Sudharsan were looking solid on a greenish pitch that was challenging for batting. The run out was described as suicidal and a massive blunder, sparking frustration within the Indian dressing room, including the captain’s visible disbelief and criticism from cricket experts such as Ricky Ponting and Sunil Gavaskar.
Before the dismissal, India had made a record number of runs in the series, but losing Gill in this manner put pressure on the middle order on a difficult pitch with conditions made worse by rain interruptions.
The Indian team made four changes to their playing eleven, with Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Karun Nair, and Dhruv Jurel replacing Jasprit Bumrah, Anshul Kamboj, Shardul Thakur, and the injured Rishabh Pant.
England too made four changes, but they had announced their changes on Wednesday.
India reached 36 for one in the first hour of play, with Sai Sudharsan and Gill batting till lunch. However, the afternoon session consisted of only six overs due to rain.
Despite the challenges, Sai Sudharsan collected two fours during the match, while Josh Tongue and Jamie Overton struggled for control, conceding a combined total of 16 runs in their overs.
Gus Atkinson struck in his second over by having Yashasvi Jaiswal trapped in front, and England successfully reviewed the decision. The short ball from Chris Woakes did not do much, but Rahul went for the cut when it was too close to his body, eventually playing on to his stumps.
At the time of rain return, India were 85 for three, with Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair batting. The 5th Test is a crucial match for both teams, and India will be hoping to bounce back from this setback and put up a strong performance in the remaining days.
- Despite the challenges posed by the greenish pitch and rain interruptions, the Indian team struggled after Gill's suicidal run-out, especially in the middle order.
- Post Gill's dismissal, the Indian team's performance was critically assessed by cricket experts like Ricky Ponting and Sunil Gavaskar, who described it as a significant blunder and a major setback for the team.
