India’s young skipper Shubman Gill finally tasted victory as ODI captain in the third and final match of the series against Australia, registering a commanding nine-wicket win at the venue where Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli once again shone. Despite losing the series 1-2, this triumph marked Gill’s first success in the format, giving him a confidence boost ahead of upcoming fixtures.
Toss Troubles Continue for Gill
Gill’s captaincy career has been marked by unusual misfortune at the toss. Having led India in 10 matches (seven Tests and three ODIs) in 2025, he has lost nine of them. The streak of toss losses extended even in the recent Australia ODI series, prompting the young skipper to joke at the post-match press conference, “Mere ko gharwale bhi bol rahe hai, kuch na kuch toss ke liye” (Even my family is also asking me to do something about the toss). In fact, India’s poor luck at the toss stretches back further, with the team losing 18 consecutive ODI tosses since the 2023 World Cup.
Rohit and Kohli Power India to Victory
Gill credited the masterful performances of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the win. Rohit remained unbeaten on 121, marking his 33rd ODI century, while Kohli contributed a steady 74 not out. Their partnership ensured India chased down Australia’s modest target of 236 in just 39.3 overs, sealing a near-perfect victory with nearly 11 overs to spare.
Bowling Efforts Praised
Gill also lauded the Indian bowling attack, highlighting pacer Harshit Rana’s four-wicket haul and the spinners’ disciplined middle-over spells. “We pulled things back in the middle overs. Our spinners contained (batters) in the middle and pacers took key wickets. Harshit bowled fast in the middle overs, we need that quality,” he said.
Australian skipper Mitchell Marsh acknowledged the brilliance of Rohit and Kohli but expressed disappointment that the team could not capitalize on a strong position. “We’ve seen Rohit and Virat do that over 10 years against lots of teams. We needed one more stand in the back-end of our first innings. We had a great platform at 195 for three,” he said.
This win not only gave Shubman Gill his maiden ODI victory as captain but also highlighted India’s continued reliance on the experience and class of senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in key moments.
