Shubman Gill’s chase at Edgbaston shows why India now have Virat Kohli’s ODI successor | Cricket News
TimesofIndia.com in Cardiff: Shubman Gill revealed that a bout of cramps forced him to retire during the first ODI between India and England in Birmingham on Tuesday. Before cautiously walking off the field, Indian captain Gill scored an unbeaten 80 and carved out an important stand with his deputy. Shreyas Iyer. His exit from the middle, followed by quick wickets of Iyer and KL Rahul, spooked the visitors, but Washington Sundar and Axar Patel ensured that their captain’s hard work was not in vain as India sealed a six-wicket win at Edgbaston. Speaking on BBC Test Match Special, Gill said he expects to be fit for the second ODI at Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens on Thursday. His demeanor as he left Birmingham, and again on the eve of the second ODI in Wales, where the weather was hot last week, suggested he was fit and eager to go into this important series.During the opening ODI of the three-match series, as India chased 259, Gill and Iyer stitched a crucial 101-run partnership off 103 balls to all but take the game away from the hosts. Before that, however, as India lost Rohit Sharma (11) and Virat Kohli (5) cheaply, England seemed to have the upper hand. Two of India’s batting veterans returned to the pavilion and the scoreboard read 48 for 2 in 8.3 overs.
Shubman Gill scored a feisty 80 in the first ODI against England.
As Shreyas Iyer, who has had a disappointing start to his tenure as T20I captain of Ireland and England, joins Gill in the middle, the challenge is to absorb the pressure rather than worrying about the required run rate, which is less than one ball.During his 75-ball 80, which included 11 fours and a six, Gill spent 120 minutes at the crease. Instead of motoring during the powerplay, the 26-year-old opted to soak up the pressure from seamers Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue. With a face offering help to the seamers, Gill and Rohit Sharma, the other opener, chose to bide their time. The first innings showed that the pitch was helping the new-ball bowlers with pace, variable bounce and lateral movement.While Rohit remained the more cautious of the two, Gill ran his innings, and the chase, to perfection. After opening his innings with back-to-back boundaries, Gill remained remarkably quiet for the next 13 deliveries, scoring just four runs in that period. With England keeping pace, including Sam Curran, Gill was content to deal with singles and dots.
Indian skipper Shubman Gill celebrates his half-century during the 1st ODI against England, at the Edgbaston stadium in Birmingham on Tuesday. (THIS picture)
When the strategy changed, Gill took Adil Rashid, Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks. Liam Dawson, too, was brought into the attack. In the 21st over, there is a sweep towards backward square leg. In the next over, Gill plays a clean inside-out loft to extra cover for another boundary.More fitting, and showing the range of his repertoire, seconds after receiving treatment from the physio for cramps, he played a sweep to Jacks at square leg for another boundary. Even as the issue continued, Gill’s pace did not slow down in the chase. However, he continued to take singles and doubles by driving the ball to long-on and long-off.What sets Gill apart as a chase master is not just his ability to attack when needed and rotate strike when needed. It is his ability to score without slogging, without frequent aerial routes, and by using the off-side field wisely.
Indian skipper Shubman Gill plays a shot during the 1st ODI against England, at the Edgbaston stadium in Birmingham on Tuesday. (THIS picture)
Of Gill’s 11 boundaries, five came from the off side and six from the leg side. His only six, off Josh Tongue, sailed over the deep backward square leg boundary. The cut shot was his most productive stroke, yielding 16 runs, including two boundaries.With Gill’s availability for the second ODI unproven in the category, it’s hard to find anyone who has mastered the art of chasing as smoothly from Virat Kohli as Gill has.Gill’s knock at Edgbaston was a reminder that the best ODI chases are rarely built on relentless aggression. Instead, they demand clarity of thought, adaptability and trust in the process. On a pitch where survival is more important than accelerated scoring, Gill judges the conditions better than anyone. He only attacked when the game allowed him and ensured that India never lost sight of the target.Cramps may have denied him a fitting finish, but the job was done. It was another innings that reinforced why, at the age of 26, Gill is fast emerging as the standard-bearer for the next generation of ODI batting in India.
Post Comment