Shubman Gill praised Team India's strong comeback in the first ODI of the three-match series against Afghanistan after the hosts secured a convincing seven-wicket victory in Dharamsala on Saturday, overcoming a brilliant century from Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the first innings.
Gill produced a match-winning unbeaten 84 off 66 balls, hitting eight fours and two sixes, as he steered India to a comfortable seven-wicket victory in the rain-affected contest. Gill also won the Player of the Match award for his knock.
After winning the toss and opting to bowl first, Afghanistan opener Gurbaz single-handedly took his team from 26/3 to 142-4 as the visitors finished with 194/10 in 24.5 overs in a match that was reduced to 25-overs-a-side due to rain.
Left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey and pacer Gurnoor Brar, both playing their first game for India, were the architects of India's comeback. Dubey accounted for the wickets of Hashmatullah Shahidi, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Allah Ghazanfar, while Brar first claimed the wicket of Ibrahim Zadran in the second over, before getting rid of Rashid Khan and Zia Ur Rahman in the 25th over, to bundle out Afghanistan for 194/10.
After the match, Gill said India lost control early in the match as Afghanistan, led by a brilliant innings from Gurbaz, took the game away in the first innings. However, he praised India's strong comeback.
Gill praised the performances of Brar and Dubey, highlighting Gurnoor's impact with both the new ball and at the death, and Dubey's strong comeback after an expensive first over. He also emphasised the importance of controlling the middle overs in ODIs, maintaining pressure while bowling, and rotating strike effectively while batting, noting that these are key aspects discussed in team strategies.
"The way we started, they pulled the game away from us. Gurbaz was brilliant and took the game away from us, but we fought back well. It was a brilliant wicket for batting. When we were bowling, there was a bit of grip, but it came on nicely when we batted," Gill said at the post-match presentation.
"Gurnoor, the way he bowled with the new ball and then came back at the death. Harsh as well, the way he came back after conceding 16 runs in his 1st over. In ODIs, middle overs are crucial, in bowling, you need to keep creating opportunities and maintain pressure. In batting, it's about finding the gaps and rotating the strike. That's exactly what we discuss in the team meetings as well," Gill added.
Gill, who was involved in a mix-up that caused Rohit Sharma's run-out in the sixth over, said that the veteran batter said "it's fine" after watching the replays.
"He (Rohit) saw the replays and said it's fine," he said.
Chasing 195, India were led by Gill, who remained unbeaten on 84 off 66 balls and won the Player of the Match award for it, while Ishan Kishan contributed 34 and KL Rahul blasted an unbeaten 39 off just 19 deliveries. Gill and Rahul added an unbroken 53-run partnership with Rahul to guide India home in 22.5 overs.
