Even if India’s ODI series in New Zealand was plagued by weather, according to former coach Ravi Shastri, the visitors can still learn a lot from Shubman Gill’s batting and Umran Malik’s bowling from the three matches. Following Wednesday’s cancellation of the third and final ODI in Christchurch, New Zealand claimed a 1-0 series victory. Due to rain, the second game in Hamilton was also postponed.
The likes of Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar, and Umran, on the other hand, sparkled whenever the rains abated, grabbing Shastri’s notice. “I think a lot of positives came from this one-day series. Shreyas Iyer getting runs in a couple of matches, willing to stay there and willing to go through the tough period. Suryakumar of course has the potential, has the talent, and he will deliver,” Shastri said during Prime Video’s post-match coverage. Opening up on the young Indian players in the current squad, he added, “Washington Sundar, I thought was very good. And even Umran Malik, I like the way he bowled. There’s potential there. If he can persevere, it will be very good.
“All around, there was very positive Shubman Gill at the start of the innings. These conditions are tough, you don’t get these conditions often, and you don’t travel to New Zealand that often. “So I think for young cricketers to come here and get this kind of exposure is excellent. The weather and the ground dimensions need to be taken into account.” Washington’s trip turned out to be very successful, given she had missed many assignments recently due to ailments.
After his brilliant cameo in the series opener, Shastri was effusive in his praise for the all-rounder, who made a cool 51 off 64 balls in challenging conditions at the Hagley Oval. “He grabbed the opportunity with both hands. And today I think he showed great maturity with the bat. Tough conditions, the top order struggled, and the ball was beating the bat but right from the outset in 5-7 minutes you knew this guy was composed.
“He looked organised, he left the ball well and the balance was fabulous and his footwork very positive. When he hit a couple of boundaries you knew he was on his way. So this innings will do him a world of good. Proper batter in tough conditions to get a half-century. I think he should take that,” Shastri said.