While Gill may have booked himself one of the opening slots with his dazzling strokes, Hanuma's effort might force the Indian team to play an additional batsman in the series opener. Coming out to bat again in the beginning of the day's play, India lost Prithvi Shaw in the second over as the young right-hander drove the ball at cover-point without any great foot movement. It was a bit of a soft dismissal. If Shaw missed out on an opportunity to make a big score in good batting conditions, his contemporary Gill grabbed it with both hands on the way to reaching his half-century off 49 balls. During his stay in the middle, Gill played some elegant drives and looked assured while going on to the backfoot, which seems to be his forte. However, the 21-year-old got out in an unfortunate manner to leg-spinner Michell Swepson. Swepson bowled a faster one and Gill, shaping up to flick it, missed, prompting the bowler to appeal for an lbw even as the ball headed towards the first slip where a diving Sean Abbott held on to it.

TV replays were inconclusive and the absence of DRS and Snickometer in the practice game, a disappointed Gill had no option but to walk back to the dressing room as umpire's decision could not be challenged. That ended a 104-run partnership for the second wicket between Gill and Agarwal, who was joined in by Vihari for another half-century stand. Thereafter, the duo of Vihari and skipper Ajinkya Rahane was involved in a partnership of 78 runs for the fourth wicket as the Australian bowlers toiled hard for wickets. There was a brief rain interruption after Pant walked in at the fall of Rahane's wicket. But he straightaway played his shots to further unsettle the Australian bowlers. Even as Vihari showed great composure and patience in collecting his runs, Pant was quite at ease while clearing the fence, reaching his fifty with a cracking square cut in just 43 balls. Pant continued in same vein till the end of the day's play and hurtled towards his century with a flurry of big hits. While Vihari, in all, struck 13 boundaries.

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