During the second day of the fifth Test, experienced England bowler James Anderson celebrated energetically after taking the wicket of Indian batsman Shubman Gill with a great delivery in Dharamsala.
Shubman Gill Smashed A Stunning Century
On the second day of the match at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala, India started the day at 135/1. Batsmen Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill played confidently in the morning session, with Rohit scoring his 12th Test century and Shubman completing his second century of the series. India reached a total of 264 runs for the loss of one wicket by the end of the session.
In the post-lunch session of Day 2, the visiting team made a comeback. England captain Ben Stokes made a crucial breakthrough, dismissing Rohit Sharma in the second over after lunch. It was Stokes’ first over of the series, and he bowled a fantastic delivery that knocked over Rohit’s stumps.
In the 63rd over of India’s first innings on Day 2, James Anderson delivered a superb ball that breached Shubman Gill’s defense. The ball sneaked through the gap between Gill’s bat and pad, knocking over his off-stump. This wicket marked Anderson’s 699th in Test cricket, strengthening England’s position. With two key wickets falling rapidly after lunch, the Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, is now under increasing pressure in the ongoing match.
Watch: James Anderson’s Aggressive Send-Off To Shubman
— Kirkit Expert (@expert42983) March 8, 2024
Meanwhile, former Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan believes that it will be intriguing to witness the outcome when the two players confront each other during India and England’s upcoming Test match in the UK.
Zaheer Khan expressed admiration for Shubman Gill’s journey, noting his transformation from a cautious innings in Hyderabad to his current free-flowing form across four Tests. Gill notched up his fourth Test century, surpassing 400 runs in the series during his innings. Zaheer said:
“So good to see Gill playing his natural game. In the first Test, he batted with such a defensive mindset, almost went into a shell, but from there, the way he has grown in confidence is just tremendous. It’s a collective effort [Rohit and Dravid’s backing of Gill]. What about the shot he played off James Anderson. It’s not an easy stroke to play. He was out of his crease when he lofted it,”
He added: “Now remember, if he doesn’t get it right, he can come in for criticism for playing that stroke, but the fact that he executed it so well, just shown he trusts his instincts a lot more now. The conditions are slightly better for batting here. So Anderson must be thinking ‘hmm… come to England and I’ll show you'”.
