Last Updated on 3 months by Charbel Coorey
Dominant powerplays with bat and ball, along with a magnificent 101* from Shubman Gill, has seen India get off to a winning start in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Bangladesh fought hard with after a difficult first ten overs both with the bat and in the field. Jaker Ali, who was dropped by Rohit Sharma off Axar Patel’s hat-trick ball, combined with centurion Towhid Hridoy for a 153-run stand to take the Tigers from 35/5 to 189/6. In the end, however, Bangladesh mustered just 228.
With the ball, Najmul Hossain Shanto’s team reduced India to 144/4 in the 31st over after Rohit Sharma and Gill put on 69 for the first wicket. Kohli struggled, Shreyas threatened and Axar was out cheaply, but Gill held his nerve brilliantly. He managed a tricky chase perfectly on a slow Dubai track, as KL Rahul was dropped by Jaker on 9 which would have reduced India to 166/5 with 63 still needed.
Gill picked his moments, mixing singles with the occasional boundary to keep India ticking. In his 51 ODIs to date, Gill has had no problem taking attacks apart with an overall strike rate of 100.78. However, in this innings, he found the tempo for the situation, ensuring he occupied the crease and stayed through until the end.
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Reactions to Shubman Gill 101* that leads India to important win
Shubman Gill brought up his hundred with India needing just eight for victory. “Bat for long hours and you reap the rewards at the end of the game,” said Dinesh Karthik on commentary. “He’s worked hard in this innings. This has been an invaluable knock for his side,” said Ravi Shastri.
The win could have been a lot more straightforward for India had they taken their chances in the field, but the key is getting the win on the board especially on a slow pitch. Gill paced his innings so well; a sign that he continues to mature as an ODI player.
“Gill has indeed mastered the art of finding the right tempo for ODIs. He understands how to pace an innings. The king of present* times*, in ODIs”, wrote Bharath Ramaraj, principal correspondent at RevSportz Global.
Here are some of the reactions to Shubman Gill’s fine knock of 101*.
Earlier, Mohammed Shami took 5/53 as his return from injury ramps up. Harshit Rana took three wickets of his own while India’s spinners were steady in keeping Bangladesh in check despite the big partnership.
Next up for India is a showdown with archrivals Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday. It is just about a must-win game for Pakistan as a defeat means they will need Bangladesh to beat New Zealand on Monday to stand a chance of qualifying.
