In the first one-day international between India and Sri Lanka, Gill scored 70 runs off of 60 balls to help set up India’s massive 67-run victory. The previous day, the Indian captain had made it obvious that he favored Gill in the opening spot over in-form left-hander Ishan Kishan.
The young Indian opener Shubman Gill is grateful to captain Rohit Sharma and the team management for giving him the freedom to play his “natural game” in the opening one-day international against Sri Lanka. The day after the Indian captain made it obvious that he favored Gill above in-form left-hander Ishan Kishan as the opener, Gill responded by scoring 70 runs off of 60 deliveries to help India to a crushing 67-run victory over Sri Lanka.
“When your captain has your back, it really means a lot. In our drills, we discussed how I should approach playing my natural game in the one-day matches. Let’s just keep the momentum going, “It was something Gill stated during the post-game press conference.
In one-day internationals, Gill had a successful 2022, scoring 638 runs in 12 innings at an average of 70.88. This featured his first century and four 50-plus scores.
He picked up just where he left off in 2023, scoring another half-century as part of an opening partnership of 143 runs with Rohit that helped set the tone for India’s massive 373/7.
In regards to his rapport with Rohit at the top of the lineup, he said: “We did most of our damage with the bat in the Tests. I enjoy batting with him. the discussion centers on which bowler to attack, how to counter their strategy, and where they are placing their fielders to prevent us from scoring. We adjust our plans accordingly.” Shubman, unfortunately, fell short of a century when he was trapped by Dasun Shanaka in the 20th over.
“Yes, I was severely dismayed to be released on a score of 70. I put in a tonne of effort to get things rolling and bring home a huge one for the squad. It took me almost 30 overs to get out in the 20th over.” After 33 overs of India’s 374-over chase, Sri Lanka was in a precarious position at 179/7, but because of Shanaka’s unbeaten 108 (off 88 balls), they were brought back to earth and finished at 306/8.
Gill explained the problem away by saying: “We bowled quite well, so that’s probably not a problem. We put eight runs on the board against them on that wicket, and there was dew, too. The second-place bowler had a tough time in the dew.” “The ball is difficult to manage when it’s wet. It is very uncommon for spinners to be eliminated from play, but it did not happen here.
“Bowling-wise, both Yuzi bhai (Yuzvendra Chahal) and Axar bhai (Patel) were superb. It’s difficult to field since the ball often slips off the damp surface and is difficult to catch. It’s as easy as if you were handling butter. The dampness makes it difficult to bowl.” Moreover, Gill remarked that the batters were making an effort to cut down on the number of dot balls.
“Whenever possible, we assess whether there is room for development. It’s something we’re working on right now. Dot balls are a batsman’s worst nightmare.
“Batsmen (need to) have the self-assurance that I’m playing the dot balls but can cover up the runs later if the game scenario doesn’t compel you to play too many high-scoring shots (as when) two wickets have gone down. However, that is something we work on constantly.” Umran Malik’s natural speed also stood out, as Gill remarked on his performance “Playing Umran in the nets is always an exciting and stimulating experience. Umran always presents a decent test at the nets, and I enjoy facing fast bowlers.”
