Virat Kohli could not resist giving a standing ovation to Shubman Gill after the youngster played a brilliant cover drive off Australian pacer Mitchell Starc during India’s batting in the third One-Day International on Wednesday, March 22.
After the ball travelled across the boundary rope, Kohli was spotted getting up from his dug-out seat and clapping for Gill. Rohit Sharma, who was standing at the non-striker end was also impressed by the magnificent shot. The Indian captain was captured doing an appreciatory gesture as well while doing a fist bump with his fellow opener. A clip of Gill’s spectacular boundary along with Kohli’s priceless reaction has been dropped on Twitter and is now going viral for the right reason.
pic.twitter.com/BuhNBesXlE— Main Dheet Hoon (@MainDheetHoon69) March 23, 2023
The third ODI turned out to be a game of mixed emotions for Shubman Gill. Earlier during Australia’s batting, the 23-year-old digested a cold stare from his senior teammates for missing an easy catching opportunity. Gill was fielding at the cover region near the boundary line when he failed to grab a sky-high shot from Aussie opener Travis Head. The Punjab cricketer launched a good dive but couldn’t get a hold of the ball.
Following his failed attempt, skipper Rohit Sharma was seen nodding his head with utter disappointment. All-rounder Hardik Pandya, who could get the wicket, was also evidently frustrated.
Coming to the match, the openers, even though, gave India a more-than-decent start, the lower order failed to build on the foundation, falling 21 runs short of Australia’s 270-run target. Rohit Sharma played a quickfire 30-run knock in 17 balls, while Shubman Gill scored 37 runs, which included four boundaries and a maximum. Virat Kohli was India’s standout performer as the veteran batter made a composed 54 in an exceptional display of composure. He stitched a crucial partnership with KL Rahul, sparking hope for India’s victory.
After Kohli and Rahul headed to the pavilion, the all-rounder duo of Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja spent a significant period at the crease. But, in the end, they failed to sail the hosts across the victory line. With the thrilling victory, Australia bagged the ODI series 2-1, concluding the India tour on a positive note.
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