The first T20I between Australia and India promised to be a blockbuster after a fiery start from Indian vice-captain Shubman Gill, who raced to 37* off 20 balls. However, rain had the final say as the match was eventually abandoned.
India were cruising at a run rate of over 10 runs per over when play was halted, with Gill (37*) and Suryakumar Yadav (39*) at the crease. Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik praised Gill’s innings, calling it eye-catching for the effortless fluency it displayed, even
drawing comparisons to Virat Kohli’s trademark style of play.
"This is what Virat Kohli does in ODIs. You'll never know where he is until you look at the scorecard. You'll think he has only been around for a while, and he'll be 45," Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
"I am sure he is aware of the kind of players he is keeping out, starting from Sanju (opening), Yashasvi, and the rest like Ruturaj and KL Rahul, etc. It's not easy to be a T20 player right now because you need to be consistent, exceptionally skilled, and almost play a match-winning knock every second or third game. That's the kind of depth India has,” he added.
Gill, who currently leads India in the ODI and Test formats, missed out on a potential big innings due to rain. However, the top-order batter will be eager to showcase his best form in the remainder of the five-match T20I series against Australia.
"But the fact that he is the Indian captain and vice-captain will give him a lot of confidence. That helps you up to a point, but then you need to go out there and score runs-which he has done nicely today," said Karthik.
"The Asia Cup wasn't great for him, but he took the opportunity today with both hands and played some lovely shots. That's the kind of knock you want to see from him. We all know he can get a hundred, but the pace at which he gets it is what everybody is looking at. If he bats like this, he'll do it quite nicely for India,” he added.
