1st time in history! Trio of Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill achieve rare feat

Team India’s top 3 batters – Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, and Shubman Gill – have created history together with their batting in the 5th and series concluding Test against England. All 3 of them have played knocks of 50+ at the HPCA stadium in Dharamshala but that’s not the record. The record is that their efforts to put the ball beyond the boundary ropes is the first time the top 3 batters have cleared the fence at least 3 times each in a Test innings.

This is something that has never been done before in Test cricket’s rich history. While the opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma smacked 3 sixes each, Shubman Gill sent the ball to the stands on 5 occasions. The trio’s efforts have helped the Indians get past England’s 1st inning total of 215 long ago. Devdutt Padikkal and Sarfaraz Khan are currently grinding hard to take the hosts beyond 400.

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This is the FIRST time where top-3 batters of any team hit at least 3 sixes in a Test innings.#INDvENG

— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) March 8, 2024

Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma score centuries after Jaiswal’s dismissal off Shoaib Bashir

After the splendid bowling performances from Kuldeep Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin, India’s response with the bat started positively. Kuldeep’s 5-wicket haul and Ashwin’s 4-wickets on his 100th Test appearance were supported by the batting acts of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma.

The opening duo kicked off India’s response in style, scoring the first 50 runs in a matter of time. Jaiswal, who scored 73 and 37 in the 4th Test at Ranchi, continued the form he is in at the moment with his 5th fifty+ score. However, he fell prey to Shoaib Bashir’s brilliantly executed plan of breaking the ball away from Jaiswal who decided to step out before getting stumped by Ben Foakes.

Shubman Gill, who was seen shadow practicing in the dressing room, came on to bat at 3 and saw off the remaining overs of the 3rd session without much difficulty. Then at the start of day 2, Gill partnered with Rohit Sharma and started taking on the English bowling contingent.

The duo batted with a positive and confident intent throughout the course of their innings. While Shubman Gill was displaying creativity and trust in his basics, Rohit took the backseat for a while, letting Gill do most of the damage. The highlight of Gill’s innings was that one six he smashed off James Anderson by stepping out of the crease.

It was as if Gill knew that Anderson was going to bowl in the 6-metre area and without much contemplation, the right-hander stepped out and just sweetly timed the ball out of the fence towards long-on. And after Rohit Sharma scored his 2nd century of the series, Shubman Gill did not waste much time either as he too completed his 2nd century this series off 137 balls.

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Devdutt Padikkal and Sarfaraz Khan steady India’s ship

After the fall of India’s entire top-order, middle-order batters Devdutt Padikkal (4) and Sarfaraz Khan (5) have steadied the hosts’ ship very well. Rohit and Shubman Gill were dismissed in the space of 7-balls but Padikkal and Sarfaraz have done well to sustain the damage. Both of them have played over 40 balls and their eyes are set for a big total.

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