Shubman Gill, India's star batsman, has defended himself following his dismissal for 87 runs off 96 balls in the first One-Day International against England on Thursday, February 6, at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur.
England chose to bat first after Jos Buttler won the toss and scored a below-par 248 runs. That was made possible by Phil Salt's strong start (43), followed by 50s from Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell.
In response, India opened with Rohit Sharma and rookie Yashasvi Jaiswal. However, both hitters returned to the hut for 19 runs.
Then Shubman Gill, batting at number three, and Shreyas Iyer began counter-attacking England's bowlers throughout the powerplay and afterwards. The duo scored 93 runs until Iyer was dismissed for 59 runs in 36 balls, including nine fours and two sixes.
Shubman Gill carried on after Iyer, adding 108 runs with Axar Patel, who scored 52 before being caught by Adil Rashid. Shubman Gill was on the verge of a century when he played a poor shot and was bowled for 87 runs in 96 balls, including 14 fours.
Shubman Gill, India's ace batter, has justified himself after being dismissed for 87 runs, saying he would have played the same shot if the team was 50 runs away from the mark rather than 14.
“No, I wasn’t thinking about my century. I was focused on the field placements and played my shots accordingly. I wanted to dominate the bowler, and I would have played the same shot even if I was in my 60s," said Gill after the match.
Gill, who usually opens the innings in ODIs, said he had no problem coming in at No.3 in the series against England.
“I play at No. 3 in Tests, so it wasn’t a big adjustment. It’s always a challenge in that position because you have to adapt to the game situation. If the team loses quick wickets, you need to play sensibly. If the team starts well, you need to carry the momentum. My approach was simple—play according to the situation,” he added.
Talking about his partnership with Shreyas Iyer, who made 59, Gill said, “We lost two early wickets, but the plan was to play according to the field and not hold back. After a few overs, the line and lengths became predictable, which helped us score faster."
Asked about younger Indian batters frequently using the sweep and reverse sweep against spinners, Gill said, “It’s an individual choice, not a team strategy. Every batsman has a plan to target specific areas. Many players are practicing sweeps and reverse sweeps in the nets to have more options while batting."
The second ODI between India and England will be played in Cuttack on Sunday, February 9.
(PTI inputs)
