Indiaโs ODI series against England ended with the team suffering another defeat; the Men in Blue sustained losses in the second and third ODIs, losing the series. After the losses, India skipper Shubman Gill came forward and pointed out the fitness concerns in the side.ย
However, it is worth noting that Gill himself was captured struggling with cramps throughout the series. In Indiaโs chase of the 388-run target, Shubman Gill alone made 77 runs off 84 balls, including 10 fours and a six. In the midst of his batting spree during the 22nd over, Gill was seen looking uncomfortable. He had got down to stretch his legs.
This was not the starโs only incident of feeling unwell. In the first ODI of the series, Gill had to retire injured after he was hit with muscle cramps, making 80 runs off his bat. Reflecting upon these moments, former India cricketer Irfan Pathan urged the importance of fitness and highlighted how fitness impacts the momentum of the game.
โThroughout the game, the run-rate was around six itself. Could we have pushed it better as a batting side? The plan was fine; Shubman Gill also played well. No doubt he played a good knock, but he will have to work on his fitness. If he is in trouble again and again, it will break the momentum. He will have to give more importance to this.he was struggling today too. Could we have given more importance to the run-rate from the start itself?โ Irfan Pathan said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Irfan Pathan hailed the performance of Rohit Sharma
At the same time, Irfan Pathan praised batter Rohit Sharma for his performance in the third ODI. Sharmaโs first two matches in the series were below the expectations the fans had from him. But after the last match, Pathan called him a diamond that shines brighter under pressure.
โGiven the amount of pressure that was on Rohit, it never looked even once that he was under pressure. He batted brilliantly. He was like a diamond that shines more under pressure. He is the diamond of Indian cricket. I know a lot of things have happened, and a lot of talks are happening, and some are true as well, but it was amazing to see him bat this way. He showed that he will play solidly till the day he is there. We were in the game till he was out there,โ Pathan added.
In the third match, despite being under tremendous pressure, Rohit Sharma smashed 138 runs off 110 balls, with 17 fours and five boundaries, before being caught out in the 39th over.
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