3rd ODI: Gill’s ton, all-round bowling show help India sweep
3rd ODI: Gill’s ton, all-round bowling show help India sweep England 3-0
Shubman Gill’s majestic 112, along with solid half-centuries by Shreyas Iyer (78) and Virat Kohli (52), propelled India to a massive 356 in the third and final ODI against England
Indian players pose with the series trophy after winning the
One Day International (ODI) cricket series against England, at the Narendra
Modi Stadium, in Ahmedabad, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025.
AHMEDABAD — Opener
Shubman Gill’s majestic 112, along with solid half-centuries by Shreyas Iyer
(78) and Virat Kohli (52), propelled India to a massive 356 in the third and
final ODI against England. This commanding total proved too much for the
visitors, who were bowled out for 214, handing India a comprehensive 142-run
victory and a 3-0 series clean sweep.
Gill has been firing on all cylinders in the ongoing series
and was named the player of the series for scoring 259 across the three innings
at an average of 86.33.
England captain Jos Buttler won his third consecutive toss
and opted to field first, However, it was a decision that quickly backfired as
India’s top order, barring Rohit Sharma fired on all cylinders.
Rohit was dismissed for just 1 through a beautiful delivery
by Mark Wood which found his outside edge, and Phil Salt pouched it. Despite
the early setback, Gill and Kohli steadied the ship.
The pair put on a 116-run partnership, with both batters
taking their time early on, rotating the strike and building a solid
foundation. Kohli, who was involved in a tense run-out scare in the seventh
over, survived and soon found his rhythm. He struck Saqib Mahmood for
back-to-back boundaries and, by the end of the powerplay, India had reached
52/1. The partnership continued to flourish as both batters started targeting
England's bowlers. Joe Root was taken for five boundaries in his first two
overs, while Liam Livingstone also felt the pressure as both Gill and Kohli
dispatched him for sixes.
Kohli reached his half-century off 50 balls, while Gill
followed with his own in 51 deliveries. Just when it seemed they were set for
big scores, Kohli fell to Adil Rashid, nicking one to the keeper after an
impressive knock of 52.
Shreyas Iyer joined Gill and launched an aggressive
counterattack. The pair added 104 runs for the third wicket. Gill, meanwhile,
brought up his century in 95 balls, marking his first ODI century since
September 2023. His innings was cut short when he tried to play a sweep shot
off Rashid, only for the delivery to hit the stumps, ending his brilliant knock
at 112.
Despite a few quick wickets, including Iyer falling to
Rashid for 78, India’s lower order continued to pile on runs. KL Rahul (40),
Axar Patel (13), and Washington Sundar (14) contributed with quick cameos.
Hardik Pandya came up with some late fireworks, smashing Rashid for
back-to-back sixes before being dismissed. India eventually posted 356 all out
in their allotted 50 overs.
England’s chase got off to a blazing start with openers Ben
Duckett (34) and Phil Salt (23) racing to a rapid 50-plus partnership. However,
the fall of Duckett to Arshdeep Singh, followed by a flurry of wickets, put the
brakes on England’s progress. Tom Banton (38) and Joe Root (24) tried to rebuild,
but they were soon dismissed by the Indian spinners.
Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Harshit Rana, and Arshdeep Singh,
all took two wickets each. Despite a valiant 38 from Gus Atkinson, who struck
six boundaries and one six at a strike rate of 200, the target was too steep.
England’s lower order crumbled, and India wrapped up the innings for 214,
securing a 142-run victory in just 34.1 overs.
With this win, India completed a dominant 3-0 series sweep,
bolstered by a brilliant batting display and disciplined bowling, while
England’s inconsistent batting remained a cause for concern ahead of the 2025
Champions Trophy.
Brief scores:
India 356 all out in 50 overs (Shubman Gill 112, Shreyas
Iyer 78, Virat Kohli 52, K.L Rahul 40; Adil Rashid 4-64, Mark Wood 2-45) beat
England 214 all out in 34.2 overs (Ben Duckett 34, Tom Baton 38, Gus Atkinson
38; Axar Patel 2-22, Arshdeep Singh 2-33, Harshit Rana 2-31, Hardik Pandya
2-38) by 142 runs.
