While wickets fell in a steady procession at the other end, captain Suryakumar Yadav took it upon himself to anchor and attack and almost single-handedly hauled his side to a competitive total on a sluggish pitch.
Gill's struggle against spin has been glaring and former India cricketer-turned commentator Akash Chopra has suggested a bold change to overcome his recent slump: bat deep and not be overly aggressive with his approach.
'Pant, Axar Patel, K S Bharat, Prithvi Shaw, Shardul Thakur and Kuldeep Yadav assembled at the team hotel in Mumbai,' DC stated on Wednesday.
It takes a lot of mental strength to play in front of nearly 100,000 people in Ahmedabad. Even the bravest can succumb to the tension.
India are looking to create history, as they aim to become the first team to successfully defend the T20 World Cup, while England will be aiming to reclaim the title they last won four years ago.
'Every team is looking to play either a pure batter or a pure bowler as the Impact Player, and the all-rounders are not being used.'
India captain Rohit Sharma had previously acknowledged Axar's recent fatherhood as a reason for his unavailability for the last two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the opening match against USA?
Ishan Kishan's selection in the Indian Cricket Team for the T20 World Cup Squad has brought immense joy to his family. His father, Pranav Pandey, expressed his excitement about his son's addition to the squad, stating, "Ups and downs are part of sports, but he's worked hard for it."
Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes Shubman Gill's injury during the South Africa T20I series earlier this month was the moment when India's World Cup opening combination became clear.
India will look to overcome batting inconsistencies and finish the tour of Australia with authority when the two sides clash in the fifth and final T20 International in Brisbane on Saturday.
ICC Chairman Jay Shah and Indian cricket legends celebrate Jammu and Kashmir's first-ever Ranji Trophy title, highlighting its significance for inspiring future generations in the region.
'But I would say given the importance of this series and given the conditions we think we are going to face, he (Nitish Kumar Reddy) might miss out in this Test this week.'
India head coach Gautam Gambhir mounted a strong defence of the tough Eden Gardens pitch despite losing to South Africa in the first Test.
With no foreign tours for the next one year, Easwaran's Test debut looks unlikely with N Jagadeesan being looked at as a potential third opener.
It was a headache to decide between Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav as third spinner: Rohit Sharma
Defending champions India have unveiled a well-rounded 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup
Suryakumar Yadav says his famous catch to dismiss David Miller in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup final changed his life as India created history by defending the title in 2026.
'I hadn't really planned to get a wicket on the first ball. My mindset was to put the ball in the right areas. Obviously, when you play knockouts, you want to start and finish well with the first and last ball.'
Chahal asked Axar about being promoted to number four in the batting order to which the bowling all-rounder said that things were made easy as Pant was joking around and having fun between the deliveries.
Suryakumar Yadav's poor run of form over the last 18 months has surprised Australian great Ricky Ponting, who believes the Indian skipper should think about scoring runs and not getting out in the lead up to the T20 World Cup.
India has a strong spin attack, my favourite team in T20 WC: Ganguly
Shubman Gill was rewarded with the captaincy of the Indian ODI team for the upcoming tour of Australia, the BCCI announced on Saturday.
India put on a commanding performance to beat South Africa by 30 runs in their T20 World Cup warm-up clash at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, on Wednesday.
Formidable India have their tails up as they head to the gargantuan MCG for the second T20I against Australia here on Friday, thanks to the influx of young talent and the return to form of skipper Suryakumar Yadav.
'You should have the ability to strike the ball. You don't have to have time for technique in T20 cricket. But your basics should be there and he's always had that.'
The towering presence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the Indian ODI team can only help newly appointed captain Shubman Gill grow as a leader, said Axar Patel.
Suryakumar Yadav-led India ready for Aussie challenge as T20 World Cup preparation begins.
Needed to bowl stump to stump to negate dew factor: Axar Patel
Axar Patel, who had a perfect view of Jaiswal's catch, was lavish in his praise.
The BCCI has introduced a revised central contract system, under which the Grade A+ category has been discontinued.
India begin their Super 8 journey against South Africa at the Narendra Modi stadium in a thrilling clash where a single mistake could change the course of the semifinals.
South African captain Temba Bavuma mixed grit with humour after his team's shock win over India in Kolkata, celebrating his hard-fought fifty and the "small hands" catch that turned the match on its head.
'When it comes to selection or the Australia series, I think more about where I can get opportunities rather than whether I deserve a place.'
India's recent T20 World Cup victory signals a new era of dominance in the format, driven by strategic gameplay, exceptional talent, and the financial power of the BCCI, while other teams struggle to compete.
The Indian cricket fraternity shared their views on India's T20I World Cup squad, which threw up several surprises with the return of Rinku Singh and Ishan Kishan, while Jitesh Sharma missed out and Shubman Gill was dropped.
Kuldeep Yadav has a good record in T20 Internationals with 69 wickets in 40 matches at an economy rate of 6.77, with a best of 5/17 against South Africa.
Without Axar's 34 and 2/21, DC may not have won the game.
India bowling coach Morne Morkel is delighted to see the way Hardik Pandya is shaping up ahead of the T20 World Cup.
West Indies captain Shai Hope took responsibility for his slow batting in their T20 World Cup match against India, which led to their elimination from the mega-event.
