Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali hailed Team India skipper Shubman Gill’s batting in the recently concluded ODI series, which ended in defeat for the Men in Blue. After losing the T20I series 0-4, India competed better in the ODIs before going down 1-2.
Yet, Gill was at his pristine best throughout the 50-over series, finishing with 188 runs at an average of 94 and a strike rate of 99.47. The right-hander boasts an incredible ODI record with 3,379 runs at an average of over 60 and a strike rate of almost 101.
Talking about Gill’s batting in the series, Moeen Ali said on the Beard Before Wicket YouTube channel (4:42):
“The one Indian player that looked amazing was Shubman Gill. Some of the shots he played were unreal and of a different class. Among the young players they have, he’s at a different level. When you switch on your TV, you want to watch players like that.”
Meanwhile, England spinner Adil Rashid, who played a part in the ODI and T20I series against India, believes the presence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli makes India stronger in ODIs than T20Is.
“Kohli and Rohit make a world of difference with their experience and match-winning abilities. To have that made a big difference for India in the ODIs, especially in run-chases because Kohli is the GOAT and he knows how to pace a run-chase. And Rohit is a GOAT up the top,” he said.
Like Gill, Kohli enjoyed an excellent ODI series, averaging 48 at a strike rate of 109.09 with two half-centuries. On the other hand, Rohit started the series with back-to-back failures in the opening two games before scoring a sensational 110-ball 138 in the series decider at Lord’s.
“They weren’t actually getting away from us” – Adil Rashid on India’s run-chase in the 3rd ODI
Adil Rashid believes England were always in control of the third and final ODI at Lord’s against India, despite the visitors’ excellent start with the bat. Chasing an improbable 388 for victory, the Men in Blue raced to 147 in the 25th over without losing a wicket, thanks to half-centuries from Gill and Rohit.
Yet, with the required rate constantly rising, India lost their way in the end and fell 28 runs short of the target.
“Once when we got 380+, even though their openers got off to a good start, they weren’t actually getting away from us. They weren’t off to a flyer where they reached 180 in 20-odd overs. We still had things in control but we just didn’t get the wickets in that initial period,” said Rashid (via the aforementioned source).
Rashid played a crucial role in England’s series-clinching victory, removing a well-set Gill for 77 to break the flourishing opening stand.
Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran
