Shubman Gill wants to make No. 3 own

Roseau (Dominica), July 12

After staking his claim as the opener in the Indian team, Shubman Gill is ready to succeed in his new role as the No. 3 batter. Gill will fill the big shoes of Cheteshwar Pujara at No. 3, starting with the two-Test series against the West Indies.

Debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal has been tasked to open alongside captain Rohit Sharma in the series opener. “They (team management) asked me where I wanted to bat, and I said I wanted No. 3. It is a position where I want to consolidate,” Gill said.

3 Ashwin became the third Indian bowler, after Anil Kumble (956) and Harbhajan Singh (711), to get 700 international wickets

Gill said his experience of opening for India would come handy in his new role. “It is always good to play with the new ball. I have the experience with the new ball, and when you’re batting at No. 3, it is not very different,” he said.

Having started the year with an ODI double against New Zealand, the Punjab batter has had a superb year. He became the first to score a century in Tests, ODIs, T20Is and IPL in the same calendar year.

Gill is coming off a rare month-long break. “I really enjoyed the one-month break, spent time with my family. This is my first time in Dominica. We came here early, had good training,” he said.

Skipper Rohit said Gill discussed his batting reshuffle with coach Rahul Dravid. “Gill will play at No. 3 because he himself wants to play at that position. He discussed with Rahul (Dravid) and told him that ‘I’ve played all my cricket at No. 3 and 4, I think I can do better for my team if I bat at No. 3’,” Rohit said. “It helps us too as it creates a left-right opening combination. This is what we are trying and hopefully this becomes a long-term thing as we have been desperate for a left-hander. We have got that left-hander in Jaiswal and let’s hope that he performs well for the team and he can really make that spot his own,” he added.

Ashwin gets four

Premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed 4/49 and became the third Indian bowler to reach 700 international wickets as hosts West Indies were 137/8 at tea on the opening day of the first Test here today.

Ashwin got to the milestone when he dismissed Alzarri Joseph (4) for his third wicket. He is the third Indian after Anil Kumble (956) and Harbhajan Singh (711) to reach the milestone.

Later, he denied Alick Athanaze a fifty on debut, dismissing him three runs shy of the milestone. Athanaze went for a big heave but holed out to Shardul Thakur at mid-on. Ravindra Jadeja bagged 2/24, while Mohammed Siraj and Thakur took one each. — PTI

Scoreboard

West indies 1st innings

K Brathwaite c Sharma b Ashwin 20

T Chanderpaul b Ashwin 12

R Reifer c Kishan b Thakur 2

J Blackwood c Siraj b Jadeja 14

A Athanaze c Thakur b Ashwin 47

J Da Silva c Kishan b Jadeja 2

J Holder c Thakur b Siraj 18

A Joseph c Unadkat b Ashwin 4

R Cornwall not out 8

K Roach not out 0

Extras: (b 2, lb 5, nb 2, w 1) 10

Total: (8 wickets, 58 overs) 137

FOW: 1-31, 2-38, 3-47, 4-68, 5-76,

6-117, 7-124, 8-129

Bowling O M R W

Mohammed Siraj 12 2 25 1

Jaydev Unadkat 7 2 17 0

Ravichandran Ashwin 21 6 49 4

Shardul Thakur 7 3 15 1

Ravindra Jadeja 11 5 24 2

#Cheteshwar Pujara #Cricket #Shubman Gill