Riding on centuries from Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill, India registered a thumping 8-wicket victory over the West Indies in the first ODI at Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday (September 27).
Chasing 296 to win, the hosts lost Rohit Sharma for 32 runs but Kohli and Gill took the Caribbean bowling attack to the cleaners, adding 151 runs for the second wicket.
While Gill was dismissed for 110 off 108 balls – his 10th ODI ton, Kohli held the one end firmly. The veteran campaigner went on to slam his record-extending 55th century in ODIs and remained unbeaten on 139 off 88 balls (10 fours and 9 sixes), taking India over the line with 50 deliveries to spare.
In this process, Virat Kohli completed 15,000 runs in the format. He became only the second batter in ODI history to cross the landmark, joining fellow compatriot Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli achieved the milestone in his 303rd ODI innings, reaching there 74 innings faster than Tendulkar.
Speaking during the post-match presentation, India skipper Shubman Gill rued that he wasn’t able to finish the match as he reflected on his century.
“Honestly, when I got out, I thought I should have finished the game. Would have been nice to be there in the end. But yes, very satisfying innings for me,” Gill said.
The highlight of Gill’s knock was the three boundaries he hit off West Indies quick Alzarri Joseph in one over.
When asked to pick the one that stood out to him, the Indian captain replied: “Probably the drive that was front foot. Yeah, off the front foot, that was my favourite.”
Gill credit spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who earned the Player of the Match award after delivering a critical spell of 4/40, for bringing India back into the match during the middle overs, restricting the West Indies to under 300 after they threatened a much higher total.
“Someone like him, especially in the middle overs, if he's bowling well, he's a wicket-taker for us and he's proved over again and again, and today as well. We were a bit on the back foot, with their opening partnership and how their top order was batting, but he got us back in the game, got us crucial wickets in the game, and at one point it looked like maybe they'll get 340-350, but from there to restrict them to 300 was a tremendous effort from us,” Gill stated.
Speaking of Kohli, Gill highlighted the stalwart’s current state of batting with immense freedom, emphasizing that a player of his calibre should simply be given the space to play his natural game.
“Yeah, I mean, he's batting superbly, and I think he's enjoying the game a lot more, playing with freedom and enjoying the game. And I think those are the effects of his batting. I mean, he always had the game, he always had the ability to clear the boundary at will, and I think he's doing that right now.
“[On whether, as captain, he simply leaves Virat Kohli to play his game] Yeah, I mean, someone like him who's won so many matches for the country, who's done it over and over again, you just let him be, and you just want him to play however he feels like on the day, because when he plays well, he can win matches for you,” he remarked.
Gill confirmed India's strategic push to secure a reliable eighth batting option who can consistently add 25-30 lower-order runs, aiming to build team depth ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
“Yes, ideally yes. We would want an eighth batting option, someone who can contribute at least 25-30 runs. We have seen many times we had been in good positions at 250 for 5, and then we weren't able to get scores that we wanted. So number eight becomes a crucial position for us. But we are open to trying different combinations and seeing what works for us,” he concluded.
With this victory, India took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The second ODI will be played in Guwahati on September 30.
