Shubman Gill in motion© BCCI
Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar picked Shubman Gill because the player who shall be around for a very long time in Indian cricket. Aside from Gill’s masterclass, Manjrekar was also impressed by Shreyas Iyer’s “flawless” stroke play and rated his belligerent 59(36) 10/10 on “quality.” Gill and Shreyas were within the vanguard of India’s four-wicket triumph in the primary ODI against England. When skipper Rohit Sharma and debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal left India in a large number at 19/2 while chasing 249, Gill and Iyer dug deep to maintain the innings from falling apart.
With flawless technique and an unorthodox nature of their shots, Gill and Iyer raised a 94-run partnership to steer India out of a position after they walked on thin ice.
While Gill, in course of his 87 (96), relied on his defensive prowess, Shreyas took the brunt of scoring runs on his shoulders. With a wide selection of shots and picture-perfect strokeplay, he maintained a healthy run flow.
His swift expedition was dropped at an end by Jacob Bethell, who pinned him right in front of the stumps at 59(36). For Manjrekar, it was the perfect inning that he saw from Shreyas.
“I comprehend it’s just 58 for now. But that must be Shreyas Iyer’s best innings! Due to the sheer flawless nature of stroke play, the range of shots played & the relative orthodoxy of all his shots. On quality it was 10/10,” Manjrekar wrote on X.
After Shreyas returned to the dressing room, Gill took the mantle to take India past the ending line. He perfectly blended defence and attack in his 87(96), leaving India a few steps away from victory.
“We had a term within the team ‘Lambi race ka Ghoda’ for certain players. Meaning someone who shall be around for a very long time in Indian cricket. That is what Shubman Gill is!” Manjrekar wrote on X.
After sealing a 4-wicket win within the series opener, India will look to take an unassailable lead in Cuttack on Sunday.
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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