At the SuperSport Park in Centurion on Tuesday, December 26, during the first Test match between South Africa and India, Shubman Gill was unable to make a point with the bat. As rookie Nandre Burger claimed consecutive wickets for the Proteas, the right-handed batsman was down cheaply for just two runs off 12 deliveries, caught behind by wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne.
Shubman Gill was fired following a favorable evaluation conducted by South Africa. Burger delivered a back-of-length strike that nibbled at the side of his leg. Before the ball got to the wicketkeeper along the leg side, it gave the gloves a slight advantage. With a confident demeanor, Verreynne requested that his captain, Temba Bavuma, contest the not-out ruling. The ruling was in the hosts’ advantage.
Watch Shubman Gill’s wicket below:
Shubman Gill, at position three, had scores of 6, 10, and a not-out 29 in his three innings on the West Indies tour this year. So far in Test cricket, the Punjab-born Gill hasn’t quite stepped up as Pujara’s replacement. In the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final, Gill secured 13 and 18. Unfortunately, India was defeated by Australia with a hefty 209 runs.
South Africa strike early, reduce India to 24-3 with Shubman Gill’s dismissal in 1st Test
Following Shubman Gill’s wicket, South Africa controlled the first hour of the first Test on Tuesday, leaving India reeling at 24-3. The first batsman to be removed was India skipper Rohit Sharma, who was caught by a fine leg off Kagiso Rabada. Then, rookie Nandre Burger, trailed by Kyle Verreynne, sent back Yashasvi Jaiswal.
As my report goes to press, India’s scorecard reads 38/3 from 13 overs. Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli are at the helm, seeking to spearhead a counterattack in this inaugural Test match.
South Africa, under the leadership of Captain Temba Bavuma, initiated the proceedings by opting to bowl first. He announced his decision during the toss.