Shubman Gill praises Ravindra Jadeja and Ajinkya Rahane's batting effort
Test debutant Shubman Gill praised Ravindra Jadeja and Ajinkya Rahane's partnership as the pair thwarted the Australian bowling at the Melbourne Test. Gill felt their partnership was critical as India ended Day 2 on 277-5, with a lead of 82 runs.
Ravindra Jadeja joined Ajinkya Rahane in the middle after the departure of Rishabh Pant. The score read 173-5 at that time, and Australia must have sniffed an opening.
However, Jadeja ended the day with an unbeaten 40, which included one boundary as the Indian all-rounder curbed his natural game and played cautiously. Meanwhile, Rahane managed a terrific ton and is still out there in the middle.
Speaking after the day's play, Shubman Gill was all praise for the pair, who stitched an unbeaten 104-run partnership. The opener said:
''I think it (Ravindra Jadeja's innings) was a really valuable knock. He went into bat when we were 170 something for five. It's very easy for us to loosen up and let the opposition back in the game. So the partnership between Ajinkya Rahane and Jadeja was really important for us.''
Gill applauded stand-in captain Rahane's effort and felt his patience in the middle was the key.
''The way he was so patient...this knock was all about patience. More importantly, when you are playing such a high-quality bowling attack, sometimes, you go in that shell, and you are not able to score runs. It was a magnificent knock to watch from outside,'' Gill added.
Ravindra Jadeja's impact in this Test so far
The Chennai Super Kings star didn't contribute much with the ball in the first innings as most of the damage was done by Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin. The left-hander picked up a solitary wicket of Pat Cummins.
However, Jadeja played a crucial role in providing the first breakthrough for India on the first day as he picked a smart catch to dismiss Matthew Wade.
With the all-rounder still unbeaten on 40 going in on Day 3, we can expect to look forward to his trademark sword-swinging celebration if he crosses the 50-mark.