The pitch at the Dubai International Stadium tested the batters and at the end of it all, it was Shubman Gill who passed the scrutiny with distinction.
The track was not an extremely difficult one to bat on, but neither was it an easy surface. On the sluggish side, the wicket made it difficult for the batters every time pace was taken off the ball. But Gill cleared all such hurdles big and small as he authored an innings of 101 not out in India’s six-wicket victory over Bangladesh in their
opening match of the Champions Trophy.
Bangladesh won the toss and batted, but must have rued the decision when they were wobbling at 35/5 in the ninth over. But Towhid Hridoy (100) and Jaker Ali (68) scripted a fine recovery — aided by reprieves — and shared a 154-run sixth wicket stand to push Bangladesh’s total to 228.
India did reach the target in 46.3 overs, but the chase was not as easy as the margin of win would suggest. Gill’s innings thus assumes greater importance.
Despite the fall of wickets at the other end, he remained unfazed and showed excellent situational awareness to focus more on nudging the ball and placing it in the gaps. He did appreciably well to respect the conditions and curb his instinct of going for the glory shot frequently.
Of course, Rohit Sharma’s breezy knock comprising seven boundaries was again crucial as India never really had to be worried about the required run rate. But when Axar Patel, promoted again to No. 5 to maintain the right hand-left hand combination at the crease, fell playing a needless shot off Rishad Hossain, India were certainly under some pressure.
From 112/1 in the 23rd over, they had slipped to 144/4 in the 31st. That’s when Gill faced the actual test of character. Agreed, the pressure could have been a little more on him. But Jaker provided his opponents a helping hand by spilling a sitter at deep square leg to let KL Rahul (41 not out) off in the 37th over, with India needing another 63.
Gill though was ice cool in his execution, bringing up his eighth ODI ton with a six, four and a couple of ones when closer to 90. Gill’s century, off 125 balls, was the slowest by an Indian post the 2019 ODI World Cup. But there was no need for him to go any faster on the day.
Gill and Rahul shared an unbroken stand of 87.
Earlier, captain Rohit was quick to find his rhythm, unleashing trademark swats, pulls, flicks, leg glances and even an inside-out aerial drive to race to 41 off 36 balls. When he departed, the scoreboard read 69 in just 9.5 overs.
But Rohit’s long-time colleague Virat Kohli once again fell to a leg-spinner and outside the off-stump, with the impressive Rishad being the bowler on this occasion.
India were poor in their fielding. Rohit himself was guilty of dropping a sitter at slip, giving Jaker a reprieve on nought and denying Axar Patel a hat-trick in his first over.
Had Axar got the hat-trick, Bangladesh may have struggled to post even a three-digit total. Hardik Pandya too grassed one at mid-off off Kuldeep Yadav’s bowling to gift Hridoy a life.
India’s catching and ground-fielding weren’t great, but Mohammed Shami’s 5/53 is indeed a huge positive for them going forward. Even Harshit Rana (3/31), preferred over Arshdeep Singh, bowled very few loose balls. There are a few loose ends though. They need to be addressed ahead of tougher tests.
