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.
“We’ll bowl first. The wicket has been under covers. We want to use the moisture and make early inroads. Our boys have all got into reasonably fit conditions.”
Temba Bavuma
