[Watch] Shubman Gill takes a sharp and composed catch by the boundary line to dismiss Kusal Mendis in 3rd IND vs SL ODI
Team India vice-captain Shubman Gill completed a smart catch in the deep right by the boundary line to send back the well-settled Kusal Mendis in the third ODI against Sri Lanka. The right-handed batter scored a fifty in the first innings at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Wednesday, August 7.
Kusal Mendis shared a crucial partnership with Avishka Fernando for the second wicket after Sri Lanka elected to bat first. He was the lone man stranded at the other end when the middle-order collapsed yet again. The right-handed batter kept going from the other end and switched gears at the death to stretch Sri Lanka's total.
After scoring a couple of boundaries off his last six deliveries, Mendis tried to take on Kuldeep Yadav in the penultimate over by pulling the spinner's dragged-back delivery over the cow corner region. Dnd the shot to convincingly send it beyond the boundary rope. Despite a solid connection, the batter did not place enough power behind the stroke.
Gill came in running to his right from long-on and took the catch right on the edge of the boundary line. Sensing that his momentum would take him over the ropes, he immediately let go of the ball. He then stepped outside the ropes when the ball was off his hands and in the air, then completed the catch by coming back into the playing premises.
Have a look at the catch right here:
Kusal Mendis scored 59 runs off 82 deliveries with four fours in his innings at a strike rate of 71.95.
Shubman Gill has a huge role to play at the top as India need to score 249 to level the series
Shubman Gill has made starts in the series so far, playing second fiddle to Rohit Sharma's pyrotechnics in the powerplay. However, the opening batter has not been able to convert his start and be the link to the middle order, which the team desperately needs amid the collapses.
Sri Lanka finished their innings with 248-7 on the back of Avishka Fernando's 96. Debutant Riyan Parag was the pick among the bowlers with figures of 3-54 in nine overs.