Team India batter Shubman Gill continued his magnificent form in the ODIs as he brought up his maiden century in international cricket. Gill, who was playing his 20th match for India (11 Tests, 9 ODIs) slammed a 97-ball 130 to help India post a strong score of 289 runs on the board after skipper KL Rahul chose to bat first.
Gill came close to achieving the three-figure mark in the Caribbean when he was in 90s in the third ODI in Trinidad against West Indies, however, he was left stranded on 98* when rain arrived and India couldn’t bat again having played 36 overs. However, the 22-year-old Punjab batter brought his form to the African nation scoring an unbeaten 82 in the series opener
Gill scored a run-a-ball 33 while batting at No. 3 in the second game and even though he played at the same position in the series finale as well, it didn’t deter him from playing his best knock at the highest level yet.
After Rahul got out for 30, Shikhar Dhawan and Gill took India’s innings forward. While Dhawan played cautiously, Gill, who since this year’s IPL has taken his game to another level, played at a strike rate of over 100 and didn’t miss out on any boundary opportunity.
Dhawan soon got out but he found an able ally in Ishan Kishan. Ishan too was playing at his unnatural position but compiled a well-made half-century. The duo shared a 140-run partnership for the third wicket, which kept India in the hunt for a 300-plus total. Gill was on 97 when Ishan was run-out and Deepak Hooda got out as well in the very same over.
But Gill reached the three-figure mark in the next over on his 82nd ball of the innings and then added 30 more runs to his total to finish with a majestic innings of 130 off 97 and broke the record of highest individual score by an Indian batter in Zimbabwe. 64, 43*, 98*, 82*, 33 and 130 – these are Gill’s scores in the six ODIs in span of a month and has now really banged the door down as far as ODI side is concerned, even when the regulars return.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, opening batter Wasim Jaffer and leg-spinner Amit Mishra hailed Gill for a fine knock while the fans and cricketer-turned-commentator Ian Bishop too reckoned that the 22-year-old’s time has come. Here are some of the reactions:
India scored 289/8 as they lost heaps of wickets in the end but will hope that it is enough to complete a series whitewash.
