Shubman Gill made his mark in the field despite a quiet outing with the bat, taking a spectacular one-handed catch to dismiss Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis in the first Test at Galle. The Indian captain threw himself full stretch at extra cover to pluck the in-form batter’s shot inches above the ground, producing a stunning moment of athleticism.
Kuldeep Yadav was the bowler who claimed the crucial wicket, leaving Sri Lanka four down in their first innings after India had posted 462. With Kuldeep and Manav Suthar finding assistance from the turning Galle surface, India continued to apply pressure as they looked to strengthen their position in the series opener.
Watch Video: Shubman Gill Takes Stunning Catch to Dismiss Kamindu Mendis
Left hand, full stretch, absolute stunner from Shubman Gill! 🥵
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Shubman Gill Pulls Off One-Handed Screamer at Cover to Dismiss Kamindu Mendis
Kuldeep Yadav produced the breakthrough with the first delivery of his 17th over, sending down a flighted ball outside off that turned away sharply. Kamindu Mendis stepped forward and attempted an aggressive drive, but the shot flew towards extra cover. Shubman Gill reacted instantly, diving full stretch to his left and extending his left hand to take a stunning low catch inches above the ground.
Mendis was dismissed for 14 off 25 balls, including one four and one six, leaving Sri Lanka four wickets down in their first innings. The wicket was Kuldeep’s first of the innings and further strengthened India’s grip on the Test as their spinners continued to find plenty of assistance from the Galle surface.
Gill’s spectacular effort also left commentator and former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar stunned. He highlighted how the ball appeared to be moving away from Gill and praised the catch as one of the best he had seen at extra cover. “Wow, he had no right to take that,” Manjrekar said, while even Mendis appeared surprised by the dismissal.
