Right-handed batter Shubman Gill was at his best in the three-match ODI series against West Indies, scoring 205 runs, including an unbeaten 98 in the third and final ODI. For his performances, he was awarded the Player of the Series accolade. The third ODI was first curtailed to 40-overs-per-side, and then it was brought down to 35 overs due to rain, and hence Gill did not get a chance to complete his 100. After the 3-0 series win, India captain Shikhar Dhawan praised Gill, saying he has a bit of Rohit Sharma’s touch in him.
“He has got a very good technique and he is a very classy batter. You can see that the touch he got, I think he got a bit of Rohit touch in him. He has got a lot of time in the way he bats, he got 98 today. He knew how to convert those 50s into 90s. We both got two 100+ partnerships in three matches, it is a very good sign. The way we handled the first 10 overs, their bowling attack, it was very good.”
Talking about the win, Dhawan said: “I am very very proud of the team, every match we showed our character and we turned those challenges into great opportunities for all of us and I am happy with the way everyone has performed and how they chipped in. I am very happy with my batting performance as well, the way in which the ball was hitting my bat and the shots were coming out, there was no hurry in my batting. I handle pressure well, so it felt nice.”
“From the team’s point of view, there were plenty of positives. Batting unit, everyone scored runs. Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, and Axar Patel, all of them scored runs. There can be nothing better for a batting unit, the way they responded in the first or second innings, they played with the same grit in the third ODI after we had sealed the series. In bowling, Prasidh, Siraj, and Shardul, Chahal is experienced, even Hooda bowled well. It feels good when both departments come together,” he added.
Promoted
Talking about his captaincy, Dhawan said: “As a captain, it feels good, it was my good series as a leader. I will always keep this happiness with me, I took the match wicket with me and I got it signed by everybody. It will always be memorable for me. More than anything, when we play the match, it is important for me to know what they are feeling. When everyone is feeling good and then they do well, there can be nothing better.”
“Mohammed Siraj is a quality bowler, he is playing for many years now, so he has that self-belief. He told me what fields he wanted, so I felt good. As a captain, it becomes easy for me. He backs himself, as a captain it feels good when you see the players knowing what they want to do. The pace with which Siraj has bowled, the bouncers he has bowled, he swung the ball as well, it was really nice,” he added.
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