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Shubman Gill’s reckless run out gets rare mercy from India coach even as ex-players lash out: ‘Misjudgment of a run...’
Shubman Gill's innings was cut short after a run out in the first innings of the final Test against England.
Shubman Gill drew the ire of fans for a careless run-out on Day 1 of the final Test, and India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate also pointed out the recklessness of the dismissal during the media interaction following the end of the play. While ten Doeschate defended the 25-year-old, whose prolific series has seen him surpass even Sunil Gavaskar’s long-standing record for most runs by an Indian captain in a Test series, he stated that it was a “misjudgment” on Gill's part.
Gill was batting fluently at The Oval when disaster struck. On the second ball of the 28th over, he misjudged a single and was run out for 21 off 35 balls. It was a self-inflicted wound; Gill pushed the ball, took off for a single that wasn't there, and then froze midway as Gus Atkinson swooped in and nailed a direct hit. With India already reeling, the mode of dismissal felt like a hammer blow.
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Doeschate insisted that Gill’s overall impact far outweighs the momentary lapse.
“I'm assuming not as frustrating as it is for him. He's in the touch of his life,” Doeschate told reporters.
“Again, today he made batting look really easy for the 40 minutes or whatever he was out there. But you know, these mistakes do happen. England actually bowled nicely in that little spell.”
Doeschate spoke on the emphasis on strike rotation, hinting that the misjudged single came from a place of intent rather than carelessness.
“I guess it's getting that balance right of trying to keep the pressure on the bowlers and the fielders, and taking the runs where you can. But that's a misjudgment of a run. And I think given what he's done in the first four Tests, we'll let him get away with that one,” said the assistant coach.
India 204/6
Gill’s run-out was a dampener on a day when England made regular breakthroughs. His 737 runs in the series have come at a staggering average of 92.12, breaking Gavaskar’s 46-year-old record, but while he missed a chance to go past Gavaskar’s 774 in this innings, Karun Nair’s unbeaten 52 helped the visitors close at 204/6, ensuring Gill’s exit didn’t turn into a collapse.
