Shubman Gill Leads India’s Comeback with Unbeaten 70 in 3rd Test Against New Zealand

Shubman Gill played a pivotal role in India‘s recovery on the second day of the third Test against New Zealand, scoring an unbeaten 70 to help his team reach 195-5 at lunch. Gill’s resilient innings came after India found themselves in a precarious position overnight, trailing at 86-4.

Gill formed a crucial partnership of 96 runs off 114 deliveries for the fifth wicket with Rishabh Pant, who contributed a rapid 60 runs off 59 balls. This partnership was vital for India as they recovered from a tumultuous end to the first day, where they had collapsed from 78-1 to 84-4 in just seven deliveries.

At lunch, Ravindra Jadeja was the other not-out batsman, sitting on 10 runs, while India trailed by 40 runs. New Zealand had set a first-innings total of 235 runs after choosing to bat first. Despite the challenging conditions, Gill achieved his seventh half-century in just 66 balls and continued to anchor India’s innings.

Gill had a close call when he was dropped on 45 by Mark Chapman, but he capitalized on the reprieve to continue his innings. Pant also had a lucky escape when he was dropped on 53 by Matt Henry off Glenn Phillips‘ bowling. However, Pant was eventually dismissed lbw by Ish Sodhi in the second hour of play, despite reviewing the decision.

New Zealand had previously secured victories in the first two Tests held in Bengaluru and Pune by margins of eight wickets and 113 runs, achieving a historic first Test series win on Indian soil. Gill’s performance on Day 2 has given India a glimmer of hope in what has been a challenging series so far.