‘Bazballers’ Humbled By Gill And Iyer’s Fury In The IND vs ENG 1st ODI
635 Views
4 min read
On Thursday, February 6, the wounded Englishmen, who seemed determined to demonstrate their prowess in ‘Bazballing’ after their 1-4 thumping in the IND vs ENG T20I series, witnessed what real Bazball is. The ‘Men in Blue’ gave the Three Lions a masterclass in power hitting, making short work of the 249-run target that the visitors set for them. Although it was emphatic and messy, India easily defeated England with 68 deliveries left in Nagpur. The excessively chaotic conclusion was the only reason they won this first ODI by four wickets. Despite missing out on a century, Shubman Gill's innings, along with those of Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer, helped India thrash England in the first One-Day International in Nagpur. With more than 11 overs remaining, India managed to surpass the mark of 249 despite losing three fast wickets late in the chase, reducing their margin of victory to four wickets.
A New Chase Master In The Making
With his well-timed innings during the run chase in the first India vs England ODI in Nagpur, Gill demonstrated why he has been touted to be Virat Kohli's replacement. Following strong bowling efforts by Ravindra Jadeja and Harshit Rana, India swept out England for a respectable cricket score of 248. With just 19 runs scored, India lost both Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal, giving their pursuit the worst possible start. When Shreyas Iyer began to play a counter-offensive knock, Gill was still playing vigilantly. India swiftly surpassed 100 giving Gill the opportunity to gradually play his strokes.
When Shreyas was dismissed, Gill was on 28. The star batsman assumed a more responsible role to make sure the chase was free of additional blunders. Fortunately, the umpire gave Gill a reprieve when he was dismissed off Livingstone's bowling, but a review saved his wicket. After reaching his fifty in sixty balls, Gill gradually changed tactics. As he attempted to secure the victory for his team as soon as possible, he would ultimately fall for 87. Gill struck 14 boundaries and faced 96 balls during his valiant knock. In the end, India would cross the finish line in 38.4 overs and with 4 wickets.
Rohit Sharma’s Dismal Streak Continues
In the first ODI against England at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur, India captain Rohit Sharma's troublesome batting career took yet another sharp turn. Rohit, who is renowned for his explosive hitting, was dismissed after only two runs in the highly anticipated match as he succumbed to the constant pressure. All eyes were on the Indian skipper as he went to the crease with debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal. But instead of taking the reins in his own hands, Jaiswal stole the show by smashing boundaries in the first few overs. Rohit appeared satisfied for a minute to observe his little companion flinging the ball to every area of the field from the non-striker's end.
Rohit was left to maintain the batting after Jaiswal's promising effort was cut short at 15 just as the excitement was beginning to rise. What came next served as a stinging reminder of the difficulties faced by the batting maestro over the past few months. The Indian skipper attempted a lofted shot in the very next over when Saqib Mahmood threw down a delivery that beckoned Rohit to score, but he misjudged it entirely. Liam Livingstone was at mid-wicket, waiting to finish the catch as the ball flew high into the air. As Rohit's departure shook the Indian dressing room and his poor performance in international cricket continued, the fans gasped in misery.
Iyer and Patel Bring Fireworks To The Stadium
At the conclusion of the seventh over, Shreyas Iyer pulled and then ramped Jofra Archer for consecutive sixes after setting an aggressive tone with his fifty from thirty deliveries. When it became clear that Iyer was enjoying the opportunity to smash to the leg, Brydon Carse chose to use length deliveries more on the offside, allowing him to cut off four of his nine fours. On the other hand, Axar Patel's move up the order was brilliant; the left-hander played with such freedom that Gill was able to conduct himself with composure. Against Carse, the two played well together in the 29th over, taking 17 runs with two boundaries apiece, the nicest of which was a ramp from Axar over the keeper. With just 48 needed from the final 21 overs, this chase formally turned into a canter at that point. Axar hit his 46th ball off Carse on the rise and through the fielder at mid-off, raising his bat for fifty for the first time on home soil.