Shubman Gill lauded for attitude towards 1st Test snub after birthday wish for sister

Punjab youngster Shubman Gill has received massive support from his fans online after his surprising exclusion from the India vs Australia pink ball test that got underway today. Despite being tipped by many big names like Sunil Gavaskar as the likely choice to open India's batting alongside Mayank Agarwal, Gill seems to have taken the rejection well. Gill's first post on social media since the snub, a birthday message for his sister, has been inundated with positive comments from fans urging the 21-year old to keep his spirits up and hold for his debut. 

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Fans come out in support of Shubman Gill after Prithvi Shaw duck

Already a hotly contested decision, Prithvi Shaw's inclusion in India's Test side for the India vs Australia pink ball Test will be under further scrutiny now after the youngster fell for a silver duck in Adelaide today. Despite his average performance in the practice Tests leading up India vs Australia 1st Test, Shaw was preferred over Gill by the team management for his experience playing in foreign conditions. Shaw has managed just 52 runs from his four innings in the warm-up matches. A measly sum when compared to Shubman Gill's 137 runs in the same two games. 

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This is, however, not Gill's first brush with disappointment and a possible Test debut that did not materialize. The IPL star earned his first call-up to the India Test squad all the way back in September 2019 for India's three-Test series against South Africa after becoming the youngest Indian batsman to score a double century in a first-class match. With Rohit Sharma in the XI and Mayank Agarwal having dominated in West Indies just before that, Gill was not likely to make the cut.

However, in his next series with the Men in Blue, in December 2019, Gill was named as the captain of India A squad for their tour of New Zealand and was adjudged the Player of the Series. Earlier this year, in February Gill was named in India's Test squad, for their series against New Zealand. Just like this time, despite a great performance in the warm-up games, Gill was left out of the squad for Prithvi Shaw, who opened with Mayank Agarwal. Shaw ended that series with a total of 98 runs from all four innings. 

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Here's how fans reacted to Gill's exclusion and positive attitude:

How to watch India vs Australia live?

The India vs Australia 1st Test match will be televised live in India on the Sony SIX, Sony TEN 1 and Sony TEN 3 channels. It can also be streamed live on the SonyLIV app and website. At the time of writing, on Day 1, session 2, India are 103/3 having just lost Cheteshwar Pujara for 43. Now on the crease are captain Kohli and vice-captain Rahane.

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Image Credits: Shubman Gill Twitter