India captain Shubman Gill, right, and Rahul celebrate their victory (AP Photo)
Dharamshala: It’s not easy to get on Shubman Gill’s nerves when he plays in ODI cricket. The moment he steps out to bat, he slides into a zone where he controls the innings. The runs on the board are just a by-product of a process that the Indian captain has perfected over the 62 matches he has played.
With an unbeaten 66-ball 84 to guide India past the 195-run target with seven wickets and 13 balls to spare in the first ODI against Afghanistan in the foothills of the mighty Dhauladhar Range here, Gill’s rise towards the pinnacle of ODI batting has gained further speed. As India came out chasing debutant Giurnor Brar who impressed with figures of 3/27 in the rain-affected match, Gill seemed less concerned with proving the selectors wrong about his last-minute exclusion ahead of a victorious T20 World Cup campaign earlier in the year.
In a flawless knock, he was neither trying to match Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s exhilarating 51-ball 102 in Afghanistan’s opener, nor competing with Ishan Kishan’s in-form 22-ball 34 in a 43-ball, 70-run second-wicket partnership. Instead, Gill used his brilliant game to calmly pin India over the net. Play the opening and final games of the night. Gill knows he has a bigger job than just re-establishing his T20 credentials. He was appointed ODI captain in controversial circumstances last October with the aim of stabilizing the team ahead of next year’s ODI World Cup in South Africa, with two big names in Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli locked in a critical battle to prove their importance. The first thing he has to do is calm a tense dressing room and lead from the front with the bat.
Gill did not show his usual war cry as KL Rahul cruised to victory. He usually celebrates achievements and victories with a roar. Instead, he calmly took off his helmet and gloves and returned to the locker room. On the face of it, Afghan bowling may be difficult. But chasing 195 in less than eight overs on a real pitch in contemporary cricket should not be a problem. Gill made sure there was nothing, even with careless batting from Rohit and
Shreyas Iyer
. With all the usual wrist cover taking away spinners and drawing big hits from middle-order bowlers, Gill’s formal presence in the middle overs grew.
He worked flawlessly to make things easier for his partners at the other end by bringing out Afghanistan’s trump card Rashid Khan, while Rahul casually ended proceedings with an unbeaten score of 39 off 19 to assert his control of fifth place. This series is the start of India’s preparations for the World Cup, which is still 15 months away. Gill played with his combinations, handing out debuts to Brar and left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey. Throughout the day, Gil showed that he was firmly in control even when Gorbaz was cut off in the first innings of the match.