NEW DELHI: A fit-again Shubman Gill struck a stylish half-century easing concerns over his thumb injury while skipper Rohit Sharma batted at No.4 and fell cheaply, leaving questions over his position and form for the second Test as India eased past Australia Prime Minister’s XI in the pink-ball warm-up in Canberra on Sunday.
After big-hearted Harshit Rana picked a four-for, restricting PM XI to 240, India chased down the target in 42.5 overs but batted their full quota of allotted 46 overs.
As It Happened
Experienced Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah opted for net practice against each other instead of the warm-up game, a tactical decision that prevented the Australian side from gathering data on their performance.
Premier spinner R Ashwin, who missed the first Perth Test and took 4 wickets in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide during the 2020-21 tour, also bowled extensively in the nets, primarily to Kohli.
All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja however participated in the warm-up game and got a few overs under his belt and also batted for some time.
After rain on second day reduced the match to a 46-over-side affair, Sam Konstas (107 off 97 balls) struck a superb ton for the Prime Minister’s XI, but it wasn’t enough as the hosts were restricted to 240.
In the chase, skipper Rohit continued with the opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, demoting himself to No.4. Rohit however disappointed in the middle-order as he was dismissed for 11-ball 3, edging a delivery to the slips.
Gill’s performance however was a big positive sign for India. He began his innings with a square cut, demonstrating his recovery from a fractured thumb.

His 62-ball innings included seven boundaries, indicating his readiness for the Adelaide Test.
Gill appeared comfortable against Scott Boland’s bowling, particularly during the second spell as he scored freely against both pace and spin before retiring.
Set to play their maiden Pink-ball Test Down Under, Yashasvi Jaiswal (45 off 59 balls) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (42 off 32 balls) also had soild outings in the warm-up game.
Rishabh Pant did not bat in the warm-up game, disappointing the approximately 1,000 Indian fans present at Manuka Oval.
Big-hearted Harshit
Having already made a Test debut and a strong impression in Perth, Harshit Rana bagged a four-for in the warm-up to further solidify his place for the Adelaide day-night Test
In overcast conditions, Harshit initially struggled to find his rhythm with the pink ball and appeared to have difficulty hitting the right length during his first three overs. His inexperience was quite visible in the initial phase but then he quickly adapted and put up a duperb show with a double double.
Picking up four wickets in 6 balls, Harshit broke the backbone of the PM XI line-up.
After knocking over Jack Clayton (40), Harshit immediately got rid of Ollie Davis for a two-ball duck in the 23rd over.
In his next over, Harshit showcased variations and nabbed skipper Jack Edwards (1) and Sam Harper (0) with the short-pitched deliveries.
Akash Deep also contributed with two wickets while other pacers Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna also bagged a wicket apiece.
Spinners Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja also had a wicket each to their names.
Brief Scores:
Australia PM XI 240 in 43.2 over (Sam Konstas 107, Hanno Jacobs 61, Jack Clayton 40, Harshit Rana 4/44, Akash Deep 2/58).
India 257 for 5 in 46 overs (Shubman Gill retd 50 no, KL Rahul retd 27 no, Yashasvi Jaiswal 45, Nitish Kumar Reddy 42, Ravindra Jadeja 27, Washington Sundar 42 no).