Dough Shubman GillThe lean spell in T20Is continued on Thursday when the opener in the second T20I against South Africa at Mullanpur was scrapped for a golden duck, triggering a wave of criticism and trolling on social media. Gill only lasted one shot before Lungi Ngidi found his outside edge with a perfectly thrown long ball that spun away, leaving Reeza Hendricks to complete a sharp catch at slip.
The sending off, more reminiscent of a Test match, renewed concerns about Gill’s form in the shortest format, with fans voicing their frustration online.In the first T20I, Gill could only score four runs in two balls. Gill’s early exit came in the shadow of an impressive batting performance by South Africa, who scored 213 for 4 after being put in to bat. The innings was dominated by Quinton de Kockwho produced a brilliant 90 from 46 balls, showcasing his full range on a real batting surface. De Kock, who recently returned to international cricket after retiring from the ODI, hit seven sixes, several of which were effortlessly bowled over deep square leg. His timing and neat hitting kept India under pressure in the powerplay and beyond.India’s bowlers fought together and conceded 123 runs in the last 10 overs. Arshdeep Singhwho had sacked de Kock at the start of the series, experienced a particularly difficult situation. After starting for a straight six early in his tenure, he completely lost his rhythm in the 11th over, bowling seven wides and giving away 18 runs in a 13-ball over. Jasprit Bumrah, usually India’s most reliable option in the death overs, also had an unusual off-day, scoring 18 runs in the final over while Donovan Ferreira (30 not out from 16) went on the attack.De Kock’s innings ended with an unusual run-out as he attempted a non-existent single, but the momentum he generated carried South Africa comfortably past the 200 mark. Late attacks from Ferreira and David Miller (20 not out from 12) ensured the visitors posted a strong result and gave India a difficult fightback, made even more difficult by Gill’s early exit.
