Dharamshala: It is not easy to unnerve Shubman Gill when he is batting in ODI cricket. The moment he steps out to bat, he slips into a zone where he takes control of the innings. The runs on the board are just a byproduct of a process that the Indian captain has mastered over the 62 matches he has played. With a composed unbeaten 66-ball 84 to guide India past a 195-run target by seven wickets and 13 balls to spare in the first ODI against Afghanistan in the foothills of the mighty Dhauladhar range here, Gill’s ascent towards the peak of ODI batting gathered further pace.
When India came out to chase after debutant pacer Gurnoor Brar impressed with figures of 3/27 in the rain-truncated match, Gill seemed least bothered about proving the selectors wrong about his last-minute axing ahead of the victorious T20 World Cup campaign earlier in the year. In the flawless knock, he was neither trying to match the Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s exhilarating 51-ball 102 nor did he compete with Ishan Kishan’s flamboyant 22-ball 34 in the 43-ball 70-run second-wicket partnership. Instead, Gill brought out his exquisite game to calmly anchor India past the target. He played the opener and a finisher on the night.
Gill knows he has a bigger job than just re-establishing his T20 credentials. He was made the captain of the ODI team in controversial circumstances last October with an aim to stabilise the team before next year’s ODI World Cup in South Africa, with two big names in Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli fighting an awkward battle to prove their significance. The first thing he needs to do is calm the edgy dressing room and lead from the front with the bat. Gill didn’t bring out his usual war cry when KL Rahul hit the winning runs. He usually celebrates milestones and victories with a roar. Instead, he calmly took off his helmet and gloves and ambled back to the dressing room.
On the face of it, the Afghan bowling may be tricky. But chasing 195 at under eight runs per over on a true pitch in contemporary cricket shouldn’t have been a problem. Gill made sure there wasn’t any, even with the indifferent knocks from Rohit and Shreyas Iyer. With every customary wristy cover drive off the spinners and punchy pull off the medium-pacers, Gill’s authoritative presence grew in the middle. He worked the field impeccably to make things easier for his partners at the other end by taking out Afghanistan’s trump card Rashid Khan, while Rahul casually finished the proceedings with an unbeaten 39 off 19 to assert his command over the No. 5 spot.
This series is the beginning of India’s buildup for the World Cup, which is still 15 months away. Gill played with his combinations, handing debuts to Brar and left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey. Throughout the day, Gill showed he was firmly in charge even when Gurbaz cut loose in the first innings of the match.
