India’s Shubman Gill lauded the efforts of the Indian bowlers on day three and felt that they bowled really well for sustained periods without having any luck. Gill also said that, had the teams not gone off the field due to bad light, there was a good chance Ross Taylor could have been dismissed.
Sunday was a forgettable day in the World Test Championship final for India as after losing their last 7 wickets for just 68 runs, the number two ranked side then failed to put New Zealand on the backfoot with the ball. Like when they batted, the conditions, for the most part, were overcast when India bowled but the seamers just did not manage to penetrate the Kiwi batting. In tailor-made conditions for fast bowling, the Indian pacers took just one wicket in 49 overs and this meant that New Zealand finished the day on the front-foot, trailing India by a mere 116 runs in the first innings.
But despite the Indian bowling coming under fire for under-performing, Shubman Gill defended his teammates. Speaking in the post-day press conference on Sunday, Gill said that bad luck was the reason for the Indian bowlers not striking more often, and compared the same with the dry run of Jamieson on day 2, where the tall seamer, despite bowling exceptionally well, took a solitary wicket.
“He (Jamieson) was bowling well during the first spell but he didn’t get many wickets. But he got his reward today and I feel our bowlers also bowled well,” Gill said in the press conference.
“However luck didn’t favour us and there were a couple of half chances which didn’t go our way. Hopefully, tomorrow is a new day and it will bring us some luck.”
India did, however, take two crucial wickets, and one just before stumps in the form of Devon Conway. However, Gill felt that his side could very well have also accounted for the scalp of Ross Taylor had the umpires not taken the teams off the field due to bad light.
“It (Conway) was a crucial wicket for us and I feel that if we would have been able to bowl a few overs to Ross Taylor, we might have been able to get couple of more wickets.
“We would have a slight edge tomorrow as both batsmen (Taylor and Kane Williamson) are relatively new at the crease.”
On Saturday, India’s batting coach Vikram Rathour claimed that 250 would be a competitive total on a tricky Ageas Bowl wicket, but India fell 33 short of what they felt was par. The collapse on day 3, in fact, meant that India had failed to pass the 250-run mark against the Kiwis on five consecutive occasions, dating back to February 2020. Gill rued the same, but insisted that he was hopeful of his side putting up a better showing come the second innings.
“I think the Tests we played in New Zealand (in 2020), we didn’t have too much time to prepare as the focus was more on ODIs and T20s. As you said, we haven’t been able to cross 250 in the last five Tests.
“This Test also we were in a solid position but we lost couple of early wickets today. But hopefully if we get some time, in next innings, we will cross 250.”