NEW DELHI: India’s new ODI opener Shubman Gill has impressed skipper
Rohit Sharma by his understanding of batting in one-day cricket. Young Gill has grabbed the opportunity to open with his skipper with both hands and almost nailed down his slot for the upcoming ODI World Cup later in the year.
Gill scored a record 360 runs at an impressive average of 180 in the just concluded three-match ODI series against New Zealand, which included two centuries.
“He understands his batting, he paces his innings well. That is what you want in one-day cricket. You want to go big, you want to go deep in your innings. He has shown that. He has got big hundreds,” Rohit told reporters after their 90-run victory in the third ODI in Indore.
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Top 5 – The Best of Rohit Sharma & Shubman Gill’s opening stands
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Hands down the best opening partnership between the veteran Rohit Sharma and youngster Shubman Gill. <br /><br />
The duo attacked the Kiwi bowlers in the 3rd ODI from the word go and went on to notch up a huge 212 run partnership. Rohit made 101 off 85, equalling Ricky Ponting on 30 ODI centuries, while Gill smashed a 78 ball 112 for his 4th ODI century in 21 ODI innings. With this Gill also equalled Babar Azam’s record of most runs in a 3 match or less bilateral ODI series (360)<br /><br /><br /><br />
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill put on a blistering 143 run stand in the 1st ODI vs Sri Lanka in Guwahati recently. While Rohit smashed a 67 ball 83, with 3 sixes and 9 fours, Gill scored a 60 ball 70 with the help of 11 fours. India won the match by 67 runs and eventually the series 3-0.<br /><br />
In the same series, the third ODI in Trivandrum saw the new Indian ODI opening pair of Rohit and Gill put on 95 runs for the first wicket. Gill was the aggressor here, smashing a 97 ball 116, with 2 sixes and 14 fours. Rohit scored a 49 ball 42. India put on a mammoth 390/5 on the board and then wrapped up the SL innings for 73, winning the match by a record margin of 317 runs.<br /><br />
In the first ODI vs the No.1 ranked ODI team NZ , India started off brilliantly thanks again to the Rohit-Gill partnership, which added 60 runs for the 1st wicket. <br /><br />
Rohit was the early aggressor, but after Rohit’s dismissal, Gill was all-over the Kiwi bowlers. Gill went on to become the 5th Indian & 10th male cricketer overall to score a double-hundred in ODIs, making 208. India scored 349/8 and won the game by 12 runs<br /><br />
In a low-scoring 2nd ODI vs NZ where the Black Caps scored just 108 batting first, both Rohit and Gill came out all guns blazing again. <br /><br />
The Indian skipper scored 51 off 50, while Gill made 40 off 53. The opening pair added 72 runs off 86 balls. India eventually won the match by 8 wickets <br /><br /><br /><br />
With veteran Shikhar Dhawan‘s patchy form effectively taking him out of the running for a place at the big tournament, India have zeroed in on Gill and Ishan Kishan as Rohit’s potential opening partners.
Gill’s 112 against New Zealand on Tuesday was his third hundred in four innings, which include a double hundred in the series opener in Hyderabad.
Gill and fellow centurion Rohit forged a 212-run stand on Tuesday to set up a 3-0 series sweep as India dethroned New Zealand as the top-ranked one-day team.
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Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill star as India go top of ODI rankings with series win over NZ
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Skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill hit attacking centuries to help India sweep the one-day international series against New Zealand with a 90-run victory in the third and final ODI on Tuesday.<br /><br />
Rohit (101) and Gill (112) put on 212 for the opening wicket in Indore to guide the hosts to 385-9 after being invited to bat first in Indore.<br /><br />
In reply, Devon Conway’s 138 was in vain as India bowled out New Zealand for 295 in 41.2 overs for their second successive 3-0 whitewash and went top of the ODI rankings.<br /><br />
It was Team India’s second consecutive clean sweep, having beaten Sri Lanka last week.<br /><br />
Rohit, who recorded his first ODI century since January 2020, and Gill stood out in the highest opening partnership by any team against the Kiwis in the 50-over format, surpassing the 201-run stand of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir in 2009.<br /><br />
New Zealand’s bowlers hit back after the pair’s departure as India slipped to 293-5 before Hardik Pandya took charge, boosting the total with a 38-ball 54.<br /><br />
It all started with Gill smashing Lockie Ferguson for four fours and a six in a 22-run eighth over and Rohit joined the party with a few big hits over the fence.<br /><br />
Gill recorded his third 100-plus score in his last four ODI innings, taking off his helmet and basking in applause from the stands when he reached the milestone.<br /><br /><br />
Michael Bracewell bowled Rohit and Blair Tickner sent back Gill in the next over and India soon lost regular wickets, despite a brisk 36 from Virat Kohli.<br /><br /><br />
New Zealand skipper Tom Latham used as many as six bowlers and it was his sixth option — spinner Bracewell — who provided the tourists their first breakthrough.<br /><br />
The left-handed Ishan Kishan was run out after a mix-up with Kohli, who soon fell to Jacob Duffy.<br /><br />
Pandya put on 54 for the seventh wicket with Shardul Thakur, who hit 25.<br /><br />
In reply, New Zealand lost Finn Allen on the second delivery of their chase after Pandya bowled the opener for nought.<br /><br />
Conway stood firm to add 106 for the second wicket with Henry Nicholls, who hit 42, and 78 for the third with Daryl Mitchell (24).<br /><br />
The left-handed Conway fought hard as wickets fell at the other end as he raised his third ODI hundred with a six off leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.<br /><br />
Thakur dented New Zealand’s chase when he struck twice with successive deliveries, Mitchell caught behind and then skipper Tom Latham caught at mid-off.<br /><br />
Conway, who smashed 12 fours and eight sixes in his 100-ball blitz, looked unstoppable until tearaway quick Umran Malik got the batsman caught at mid-wicket.<br /><br />
Bracewell, who hit 26, and Mitchell Santner, who made 34, attempted to keep up the fight but Bracewell’s wicket off Kuldeep Yadav, who picked three wickets, spelt the end for the Black Caps.<br /><br />
The two teams will now play three Twenty20 internationals starting Friday in Ranchi.<br /><br />
Gill smashed a career-best 208 against New Zealand on a flat track in Hyderabad and was adjudged Player of the Series for his aggregate of 360 from three innings.
“No matter how flat the pitch is, to get a double hundred is not easy. In that game, the next best score (by a team mate) was 34,” Rohit said.
“It shows that he was calculative and he knows that he needs to bat deep. A set batsman needs to bat for as long as possible… He has got great maturity in the way he thinks about his game, the way he approaches the game,” Rohit added.
Rohit’s 101 off 85 balls was his 30th ODI hundred, bringing him level with Australian Ricky Ponting. Only fellow Indians Sachin Tendulkar (49) and Virat Kohli (46) have scored more centuries in this format.
“I just want to play my cricket, enjoy my cricket and bat the way I am batting at the moment. When the numbers show up, they look nice but I don’t think any cricketer plays for numbers,” said Rohit.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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