India captain Shubman Gill admitted he was exhausted after leading India to a record-breaking chase against the West Indies in the second ODI on Wednesday. Despite the physical demands of the contest, Gill was immensely proud of India’s performance as they chased down 406 with eight wickets in hand.
Gill produced a stunning unbeaten double-century, while veteran opener Rohit Sharma continued his excellent form with a century. India completed the chase in just 43.3 overs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series. The West Indies had posted 405/7 in their allotted 50 overs, their highest-ever total in ODI cricket. However, India responded with an extraordinary batting display and made the daunting target look surprisingly manageable.
Shubman Gill acknowledged that there was pressure when India began their chase, particularly with more than 400 runs required. “Great game. At half-time, 400 on the board, there was a bit of pressure. No matter the pitch or ground, chasing 400 is not easy. I am very proud of that performance and happy to stay unbeaten till the end,” Gill said during the post-match presentation.
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The Indian captain revealed that the team had set itself a modest target during the first 10 overs before planning to accelerate once the ball became older.
“First we had a target in the powerplay that if we get to 75-80 runs without losing wickets, it was good. We knew once the ball got a little old it would be good to bat on.”
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Gill had initially expected India to reach around 200-210 by the 25th over. Instead, the team had moved well beyond that mark, significantly reducing the pressure of the chase. “I thought if we were around 200-210 around the 25-over mark, we would be good, but we were around 230-240. After that, the pressure was never on us, it was on them,” he added.
Gill also admitted that India’s bowlers struggled during the opening powerplay as the West Indies attacked aggressively. However, India managed to restrict the scoring towards the end of the innings.
“I thought initially we didn’t bowl that well in the powerplay, similar to the first game. They batted with a lot of freedom and batted quite well. At one time it looked like they might even get 420-430, so to be able to pull the game back even by 20-30 runs was a bonus at the back end,” Shubman Gill said.
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While the chase was emphatic, the physical toll of the match was evident. Gill revealed that the intense afternoon heat made the contest particularly demanding.
“I think every part of my body is cramping right now. It was very hot in the afternoon. When it was 13 overs, it felt like we had fielded for 25 overs, the way they were batting,” he added. With India having already sealed the ODI series, Gill suggested that the team could make changes for the third match and provide opportunities to players who have not yet had a significant role. “Yeah, maybe. We ideally would want to give players who haven’t had a chance a chance and we’ll see what combination suits us,” Gill concluded.
