Shubman Gill showcased his masterclass with the bat as India crushed England by 142 runs in the third ODI at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, securing a 3-0 series sweep. The victory serves as a major confidence booster for Rohit Sharma’s Men in Blue, especially ahead of the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.
Talking about the game, England won the toss and chose to bowl first. The hosts posted a massive total of 356 after getting all out in 50 overs, courtesy of Gill’s sublime 112 off 102 balls, laced with 14 fours and three sixes. Shreyas Iyer scored a good 78, and Virat Kohli (52) and KL Rahul (40) added key runs. England’s bowlers included Adil Rashid who played a big hand with 4/64, and Mark Wood with 2/45.
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England’s batting unit crumbles against India’s lethal bowling attack
In response, England got off to a decent start but folded after the first wicket had fallen. The visitors fought against India’s strict bowling but lost wickets at periodic intervals. Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Hardik Pandya, and Axar Patel each picked up two wickets to break down England’s batting order, securing a commanding 142 runs win for India.
“The pitch was a bit tricky at the start so it’s satisfying” – Shubman Gill on his knock in Ahmedabad
Shubman Gill was awarded as the player of the match as well as the player of the series and speaking in the post match presentation ceremony about his performances, he admitted his knock to be one of the better in this format for him.
Gill stated, “Definitely. I was feeling good. I think this was one of the better knocks in ODIs for me. The pitch was a bit tricky at the start so it’s satisfying. There was a bit for the fast bowlers. It was seaming, so the chat (with Virat) was to rotate strike and not lose wickets in powerplay, build on the momentum and take it from there. (On his approach while batting) You are just reacting to what is coming to you without thinking too much.”
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The English skipper Jos Buttler also admitted that team India outplayed England, as they kept challenging their strategies.
Jos said, “It went in similar fashion to the whole tour (talking about the batting). We were outplayed by a fantastic team. Our approach (with bat) is a right one, just that we haven’t executed well. They put a great score on the board. Shubman played a great innings. We got off to a great start again but familiar story again for us. Need to find a way to bat longer. We were up against a really good side that keeps challenging.”
