India captain Shubman Gill lauded his team’s spirited comeback after they secured a convincing seven-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the opening ODI of the three-match series in Dharamsala on Saturday.
The hosts recovered strongly after Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz produced a superb century to put India under pressure in the rain-affected contest, which was reduced to 25 overs per side.
Gill then anchored India’s chase with an unbeaten 84 off 66 balls, striking eight fours and two sixes to guide the team home with ease. His match-winning knock also earned him the Player of the Match award.
After winning the toss and electing to bowl, India made the ideal start by reducing Afghanistan to 26/3. But Gurbaz staged a remarkable rescue act, taking the visitors to 142/4 before they were eventually bowled out for 194 in 24.5 overs.
Debutants Harsh Dubey and Gurnoor Brar played pivotal roles in India’s recovery with the ball. Left-arm spinner Dubey dismissed Hashmatullah Shahidi, Azmatullah Omarzai and Allah Ghazanfar, while pacer Brar struck early by removing Ibrahim Zadran before returning at the death to claim the wickets of Rashid Khan and Zia Ur Rahman.
Reflecting on the contest, Gill admitted Afghanistan had wrested control through Gurbaz’s outstanding innings but credited his bowlers for pulling India back into the game.
“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.
The skipper reserved special praise for Brar and Dubey, highlighting the composure shown by both debutants.
“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 first over. In ODIs, the middle overs are crucial. When bowling, you need to keep creating opportunities and maintain pressure, while batting it’s about finding the gaps and rotating the strike. That’s exactly what we discuss in the team meetings as well,” he added.
Gill was also involved in a mix-up that led to Rohit Sharma’s run-out in the sixth over. However, the India captain revealed there were no hard feelings from the veteran opener.
“He saw the replays and said it’s fine,” Gill said.
In the chase of 195, Ishan Kishan chipped in with 34 before KL Rahul smashed an unbeaten 39 off just 19 deliveries. Rahul and Gill shared an unbroken 53-run partnership to seal the win in 22.5 overs and give India a 1-0 lead in the series.
Source: Khaleej Times