For a batsman to hit the first ball he faces on international return for a boundary is the perfect start. So was it for Shubman Gill when he hit Lungi Ngidi for a four at the deep third-man region in Cuttack on Tuesday.

But he perished off the next ball, as he shimmied down the track only to be undone by the length and erring in timing. So, he must be itching to come up with a significant contribution with the bat when India and South Africa lock horns in the second T20I in Mullanpur on Thursday.

For the record, Thursday’s T20I will be the first-ever men’s international game at the venue.

To be fair to Gill, it was only his first competitive game since regaining match fitness from the neck injury in the Eden Test last month. But given the standard he sets for himself, a two-ball stay at the crease will certainly not make him happy.

Besides, Gill is without a half-century in his last 16 T20I innings, with his last 50-plus score (unbeaten 58 in Harare) coming against Zimbabwe in July 2024.

For sure, it can’t get any better for Gill if he can finally get a half-century and takes India to a victory. In fact, even a 40-odd at a strike rate of 150 or more may also boost his mindset.

Gill has played two games so far at the Mullanpur stadium — both in the IPL for Gujarat Titans, scoring 1 and 35, respectively. While the numbers aren’t ideal, the conditions aren’t alien to him. Add to that, South Africa’s bowling in limited-overs isn’t as sharp as it comes across in Test cricket.

The nine T20Is remaining for India before their 2026 T20 World Cup campaign
give Gill the scope to sharpen his skills for the shortest format and be in the right frame of mind going into the showpiece event.

Like his deputy, captain Suryakumar Yadav too needs to play a typical Surya-like innings and gain some momentum and rhythm ahead of the T20 World Cup. His last 50-plus score (75) was against Bangladesh in Hyderabad in October 2024.

Inability to convert good starts has been Surya’s main problem, something he needs to sort out sooner than later.

For his team, having all bases covered for these conditions is indeed a boon, while the Indians showed they can bash the opposition even on a spicy wicket with dew. Their 101-run win in Tuesday’s opener was certainly Hardik Pandya-inspired as it gave India the momentum they were looking for, particularly the bowlers.

Unless India think of making any tweaks in their XI for Thursday, Arshdeep Singh’s first spell will again be crucial. So will the middle-overs spells from the spinners.