The third One Day International (ODI) in the bilateral series saw India defeat New Zealand thanks to centuries from skipper Rohit Sharma and opener Shubman Gill. In contrast to Indian opener Gill’s fourth ODI century, captain Rohit broke his century drought on Tuesday at Indore’s Holkar Stadium by smashing his record-tying 30th triple-digit score.
In the 50-over format, the senior Indian opener tied Ricky Ponting’s record of 30 centuries. Gill, Rohit’s sidekick, got the most runs for Virat Kohli’s India, who won easily by 90 runs in Indore thanks to Kohli’s second series-high century. After scoring his fourth ODI century, opener Gill also equaled Babar Azam’s record for most ODI centuries.
Former India selector Saba Karim has made a significant statement regarding opener Gill, who is now hitting like a dream and breaking numerous ODI records. Speaking about Gill’s batting prowess in an interview with India News, Karim asserted that the Indian opener can continue the heritage of Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar and former Indian captain Kohli.
“The temperament is good. He can carry forward the legacy set by Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar. The biggest test is overseas conditions. Gill’s track in England wasn’t that good when he played Tests. We hope that he becomes the backbone of Indian batting. We are witnessing such a skill after a long time. In the future, we have to check how he performs against tough opponents. We have to test him in difficult conditions and quality pace bowlers, but the start has been phenomenal,” Karim said.
Gill scored 112 runs in 78 balls to reach 360 runs for the three-match series. In the three-match ODI series, Gill’s outstanding total of runs is tied for the most by a hitter. The same accomplishment was made by Babar in 2016 against the West Indies. In addition to being named Player of the Series, Gill has risen to No. 6 among batters in the most recent ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings.
“There are a lot of things about Shubman Gill’s batting. He looks mature with the bat. By maturity, I mean game awareness, reading the game, playing different shots against bowlers, focusing on shot selection, how to run the scoreboard, and complementing the partner when needed,” Karim added.