India’s ODI series against England ended in disappointment, but captain Shubman Gill made it clear where he felt the game slipped away.
While reflecting on the defeat at Lord’s, Gill admitted England’s explosive finish with the bat proved too much for India to recover from. He also reserved special praise for senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, backing their experience after Rohit’s memorable century in the chase.
Speaking after India’s 27-run defeat in the third ODI, Gill said his side remained in control for most of England’s innings before the hosts accelerated dramatically in the closing overs.
England added crucial runs after the 45th over to finish with a massive 387/3, leaving India with a daunting chase.
‘We were right in the game until the 45th over (when England batted). Gave away a lot of runs in the last three overs. That’s where the game went away from us,’ Gill said during the post-match presentation.
Gill revealed that India had planned the chase carefully, aiming to keep wickets in hand before launching an attack in the final overs.
He said the team wanted to maintain a healthy scoring rate without taking unnecessary risks early in the innings.
‘We thought if we had wickets in hand after 40 overs, we would be in the game. At the same time, we didn’t want to be too far behind. After the powerplay we tried to play at 6-6.5 runs per over and chase at 10 in the last 10 overs,’ he explained.
Despite the defeat, Gill was delighted with the way Rohit Sharma batted under pressure. The veteran opener scored a superb century and kept India in the hunt during the massive chase.
Gill also highlighted the experience that both Rohit and Virat Kohli bring to the team, saying they have consistently delivered across different conditions around the world.
‘They (Rohit and Kohli) have done well over the years in different parts of the world. Pleased with how Rohit batted today. The wicket got slow in the end, wasn’t easy to bat, but treat to watch.’
Gill admitted India’s bowlers struggled to make early breakthroughs and allowed England’s top order to dominate.
Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell and Joe Root built a strong platform before the hosts accelerated in the final overs to push the total close to 400.
According to the India captain, conceding too many runs in the opening powerplay and at the death made it difficult for the bowlers to regain control.
‘Almost everyone got runs. In this match particularly, we didn’t bowl well in the first powerplay. The way they capitalised never gave us chance to come back. At the death, they got too far away from us.’
India fought hard in the chase, with Rohit Sharma leading the way through a magnificent century, but England eventually defended their total to seal the series 2-1.
While the result was disappointing, Gill’s comments reflected his belief that India’s experienced players continue to be vital to the team, even as the side looks to improve its bowling execution in crucial moments of big matches.