India targeting big first innings total in Brisbane, says Gill

BRISBANE: India are determined to post a big first innings total in the third Test against Australia at Brisbane, batsman Shubman Gill said Friday after they were skittled cheaply in Adelaide.

The visitors were dismissed for just 180 in the second day-night Test after winning the toss and opting to bat, with the hosts then compiling 337.

India made only 175 in their second knock, leaving Australia a meagre 19 to win.

“As a team, as a batting group we are looking to post a big total first up,” said number three Gill. “That’s been one of the key discussions.

“Every batsman will have their own game plan, but as a group collectively we will try to get a big first innings score.”

In the wake of the Adelaide defeat, which left the five-Test series poised at 1-1, skipper Rohit Sharma was critical of the batting, including his own poor form.

“That is the disappointing part, that we didn’t bat well enough,” he said at the time. “Probably were 30-40 runs short with the bat in the first innings.”

Sharma, who missed the first Test in Perth, came in at number six in Adelaide, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and K.L. Rahul retained at the top.

There has been talk that he could revert to opener in Brisbane, but he failed to front the traditional pre-match captain’s press conference to discuss the issue.

Asked why Sharma was a no-show, Gill alluded to training on Friday being optional and not compulsory.

“I think he practised enough,” he said.

Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been carrying a minor groin injury picked up in Adelaide, but trained on Thursday and is expected to be fit.

Whether India keep faith with young seamer Harshit Rana remains to be seen.

He failed to get a wicket in the second Test and Akash Deep is a potential replacement.

Despite being thrashed by 10 wickets in Adelaide, Gill remains optimistic about their Brisbane chances.

“We’ve won the last few series (against Australia),” he said. “So there’s no fear. Perhaps if we hadn’t won, maybe.”

HAZLEWOOD TO RETURN

Australian pace spearhead Josh Hazlewood was cleared of injury Friday and will return for the third Test at the expense of Scott Boland.

Hazlewood took five wickets in Australia’s 295-run first Test defeat at Perth.

But he picked up a side strain that ruled him out of the second day-night Test in Adelaide where the hosts roared back.

“Josh Hazlewood comes back. He’s had no hiccups, he had a really good bowl yesterday and a couple of days ago,” skipper Pat Cummins told reporters. “Him and the medical team are super confident.” There are no other changes for the Test starting in Brisbane on Saturday.

AUSTRALIA: Nathan McSweeney, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2024