3rd ODI: Gill, Iyer, Kohli Power India to Record Total Against England

Ahmedabad, Feb 12 (NationPress) Opening batsman Shubman Gill’s (112) seventh century in the one-day format, along with vital half-centuries from Shreyas Iyer (78) and Virat Kohli (52), propelled India to a staggering total of 356, marking their highest score at this venue against England during the third and final ODI at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday.

England's captain Jos Buttler achieved a hat-trick by winning the toss for the third consecutive match, deciding to field first after opting to bat in the previous two encounters.

Rohit Sharma (1), who had performed exceptionally in the second match, was dismissed by Mark Wood on his very first delivery. A well-placed delivery directed towards off-stump compelled the Indian captain to make contact, resulting in an edge that was easily caught by a diving Phil Salt. Gill and Kohli then established a solid partnership, accumulating 116 runs to stabilize India’s innings. Both players took their time to settle in and effectively managed the strike during the initial overs.

Excitement surged in the seventh over as Kohli narrowly avoided a run-out on the first ball of Saqib Mahmood’s over. The right-handed batsman tapped the ball and sprinted for a quick single, which Gill denied, forcing Kohli to retreat just in time to avoid losing his wicket.

Fortunately, this close call seemed to eliminate Kohli’s early jitters, as he promptly hit Mahmood for consecutive boundaries on the next two balls. India reached 52/1 by the end of the Power-play and shifted their strategy from that point onward.

The duo targeted Joe Root, who bowled his first spell in the 11th over, hitting five boundaries in his initial two overs, prompting Buttler to introduce Adil Rashid in an attempt to rein in the scoring.

With Rashid spinning the ball from one end, Gill and Kohli aimed their shots at Liam Livingstone, each hitting a six in the 18th over. Kohli and Gill completed their half-centuries in 50 and 51 deliveries, respectively. Just as it appeared they would score significantly, Rashid outsmarted Kohli, ending his commendable innings.

A well-timed delivery induced Kohli to advance, but the ball spun sharply, catching his edge for a straightforward catch by Salt.

Shreyas Iyer, whose position in the lineup had been uncertain before the series, launched an aggressive assault against the English spinners, forming a notable partnership of 104 runs with his vice-captain.

Gill reached his seventh ODI century in 95 balls, marking his first hundred since September 2023, when he scored 104 against Australia. His innings concluded shortly after achieving the milestone, featuring 14 boundaries and three sixes, before he was dismissed by Adil.

A poor shot selection from the 25-year-old saw him attempt a standing sweep, only for the full-length delivery to disturb the stumps, ending a brilliant innings.

Iyer continued the momentum, maintaining a strike rate of 121.87 with an inning filled with eight boundaries and two sixes before falling prey to Rashid Khan.

With K.L. Rahul (40) and Hardik Pandya (17) entering the crease, India maintained their aggressive scoring pace. In the 41st over, Pandya unleashed two sixes off Rashid, over wide long-off and long-off, respectively, before being bowled by Rashid, who claimed his fourth wicket of the day on the final ball of his 10-over spell.

Despite a few quick wickets falling, India maintained a strong pace, reaching the 300-run mark in the 43rd over.

Contributions from Rahul, Axar Patel (13), Washington Sundar (14), Harshit Rana (13), Arshdeep Singh (2), and Kuldeep Yadav (1) propelled India to their highest-ever score at this venue.

The record for the highest successful chase at this location belongs to India, who successfully chased down 325 against the West Indies in 2010, courtesy of an unbeaten 109 by Rahul Dravid.

Brief score:

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) vs England