Shubman Gill grasps stunner to help India draw first blood in Dharamsala Test

One of India’s most nimble fielders, Shubman Gill grabbed a stunning running catch in the very first session of play on day one of the ongoing 5th Test to assist the hosts visit the rear of Ben Duckett. Gill scurried back from extra cover and ran beyond the 30 yard circle to take a breathtaking catch as India broke the 64 run opening stand between Duckett and Zak Crawley.

The jaw dropping incident unfolded on the very last delivery of the 18th over. India’s left arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav flighted one wide of Duckett’s off stump and the southpaw threw the kitchen sink at it in an effort to dispatch it over the leg side instead of moving with the spin.

Duckett failed to reach the pitch of the ball and could not come up with the contact type he desired for. The ball got the toe end of the bat of his and ballooned in the air on the off side. Gill was fast to realise he was in business and sprinted full fledged to get an excellent catch after covering nearly twenty yards.

Meanwhile, a win in the Dharamsala Test is very essential for Team India to consolidate the top position of theirs on the World Test Championship (WTC 2023 25) points table. India are actually occupying the top spot with a PCT (Points Percentage System) of 64.58 and need to emerge victorious at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium to hold onto the top spot.

A win for India can make the outcome of the 2nd Test between Australia and New Zealand irrelevant in terms of the points table changes as the No. one area will stay with India.