His body kept seizing up in the brutal heat and his muscles cramped through the innings, yet India captain Shubman Gill produced a masterclass with the bat in the second ODI against Afghanistan. The surprise came afterwards. Instead of the usual glow that follows a hundred, Gill looked far from satisfied, because the number running through his mind was never a century, it was a double.
A Mountain of 403 and a 170-Run Win
Gill made 154 in the contest, while Ishan Kishan also reached three figures with a knock of 125. Together they powered Team India to a towering total of 403. In reply, Afghanistan were bowled out for 232 in 44.3 overs, handing India a comfortable victory by a margin of 170 runs.
'I Wanted to Score 200'
After the win, Gill spoke openly about his innings and his intent. He said, ‘‘I was hitting the ball exactly where I wanted to. I was full of confidence. Before the series my goal was to finish the game and bat for 40-45 overs. I wanted to score 200 but I had to keep playing shots. I wanted to take the score to 430 but got caught out at deep cover.’’ It was clear the captain kept taking risks in pursuit of a bigger score, and that very ambition eventually ended his innings.
Captain Full of Praise for the Pacers
Gill played down the importance of the toss. He said, ‘‘The toss didn't make much of a difference. If we had been given a target of 310-320 there would have been good pressure on the team. Everything is in a good place. The fast bowlers are consistently bowling in the right areas, which is not easy.’’ Named Player of the Match, Gill admitted that the searing heat troubled him a great deal, leaving him with swelling and stiffness, though he was feeling better now. He said, ‘‘There is a bit of discomfort. I had a lot of cramps in different places. It was very hot. I batted for 40-45 overs. I feel much better now. I am in a good place.’’
Afghan Skipper Rues Poor Bowling
On the other side, Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi conceded after the defeat that his bowlers had fallen short of expectations. He said, ‘‘You can't leave everything to the toss. Our bowling was not good. We gave them rhythm in the first 20 overs. It was hot but you also have to bowl well. We could not win today. Hopefully we will learn from this.’’
Rasooli's Injury and Hopes Pinned on Chennai
Explaining why Rasooli retired hurt with stiffness in his leg, Shahidi clarified the situation. He said, ‘‘Rasooli had stiffness. I asked him if he was okay. He was fine and I told him to go in to bat before me. We needed someone who could play the big shots but unfortunately the stiffness returned. It has been a difficult series, hopefully we will play well in Chennai. The performances of Rahmat and Gurbaz are the good things, but we need to do better with the ball.’’ All in all, the batting of Rahmat and Gurbaz offered some comfort to the Afghan camp, but the need to fix the bowling department clearly remains.
