Indian wicket-keeper batter Dinesh Karthik has opined on the dismissals of Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara, both of who were cleaned bowled on day two of the WTC final. After Australia put up 469 in their first innings, India got off to a positive start, with openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill adding 30 runs in six overs as well. However, the Aussie captain Pat Cummins struck a huge blow, dismissing the veteran lbw for 15. In the next over, Scott Boland cleaned up Shubman Gill for 13 as well.

Speaking to the ICC about Gill’s dismissal, Karthik said: “Shubman’s ball was a really good one. I think he (Boland) set him up beautifully, bowling just around the fourth stump and then pitching this one slightly wider giving the visual perception that it’s probably a good ball to leave but it came back enough to take his off and middle.”

However, India’s No. 3 batter Pujara fell in a similar way, misjudging a delivery from Cameron Green and eventually getting out for 14. And, Dinesh Karthik felt that, unlike Gill, Pujara’s dismissal was the result of misjudging the line of the ball as well. Dinesh Karthik also added that Ajinkya Rahane will be the key if Team India want to make a comeback on day three of the WTC final at The Oval.

“Pujara was probably a case of him not judging the line as well as he could have. Slightly tentative, didn’t push his front foot forward enough, you could see a part of his off stump and that was the end of him. I think just the fact Ajinkya Rahane is still batting, they would hope that he keeps batting as long as possible, that’s going to be very important for Team India. But in many ways it’s going to be a Test match they are very much behind the eight-ball, it’s going to take a lot for them mentally and skillfully to come back in this game. Australia are well ahead in this game. They made 459 and India are 150-5 so that’s a big bridge right now,” Dinesh Karthik concluded.