Key Points

After losing Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan early in their second innings without a single run on the board, Rahul and Gill showed maturity and courage to negate the threat of batting collapse on Saturday. The duo added 174-run partnership before the close of play, significantly reducing England's lead to 137 runs.

Rahul was unbeaten on 87, while Gill stayed not out on 78 and will have a big task upfront to take India towards a draw.

“There are two crucial phases today. The first is the opening 30 minutes of the day - after an overnight break, even set batters need to regroup and get back into rhythm. Both KL Rahul and Shubman Gill are capable of doing that, but it will still be a test," Manjrekar said on JioHotstar.

The veteran added that the duo will have a big threat from the second new ball, which is 17 overs away for the bowling side.

"The second big moment is when the second new ball becomes available after 17 overs. That will be a significant challenge. I still believe this partnership has to do the job for India. Beyond this pair, I wouldn’t be too hopeful," Manjrekar added.

Manjrekar lauded Gill and Rahul for their temperament and adaptability under pressure. “Let’s not forget - these are IPL stars, T20 batters. On any given day, if they had to hit three sixes off someone like Liam Dawson, both of them have the ability to do it. But to curb that instinct and do the exact opposite - to dig deep and bat with such restraint - is what I’ve admired throughout this series.

"I did wonder whether they had the mental reserve for it, especially KL Rahul, who has scored runs in virtually every innings. And yet, he’s still been able to find that resolve to just bat for time. It’s been incredible.

"Whatever the result on Day 5, hats off to the approach these young Indian batters have shown. Shubman Gill, for example - his strike rate was 67 before tea and dropped to 29 post-tea. That tells a great story. Regardless of the outcome, this is something India should be really proud of," he said.

Former England batter Jonathan Trott highlighted the physical and mental endurance shown by Gill after a taxing day in the field.

“That’s where fitness - both physical and mental - becomes crucial, not just in T20s but especially in Test cricket. Gill scored around 50 before tea and then just 28–29 in the session after - that shows serious mental strength. He has the ability to score quickly when needed, but more importantly, he has the mindset to bat for time and play the situation.

"When he came out in the second innings - after the chaos of that first over - we saw Shubman Gill, the batter. Maybe that moment helped clear his head. He realised he had to bat time and focus solely on getting his country, his team, into a position to save this game," he said.

- IANS