Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma To Be Rested? Shubman Gill Clears 2027 World Cup Blueprint After 1st ODI
India's losing streak in the United Kingdom finally came to an end on Tuesday as Shubman Gill and Co. defeated England by six wickets in the first ODI of the three-match series.
- Both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma failed to leave a mark in the first ODI against England
- As the 2027 World Cup is approaching, Shubman Gill stated that the team is trying different combinations
- "We are trying different combinations to see which kind of combination gives us the best depth," said Gill
India's losing streak in the United Kingdom finally came to an end on Tuesday as Shubman Gill and Co. defeated England by six wickets in the first ODI of the three-match series. Before the ODIs, Team India had lost two T20Is against Ireland and three T20Is against England under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer. However, fortunes favoured the visitors on Tuesday as they chased down a target of 259 in 45.2 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the series. It was an all-round performance from Axar Patel, who first claimed four wickets and then played a crucial unbeaten knock of 57.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Gill said India's experienced batting line-up gave the team the confidence to stick with its decision to bowl first despite fielding a relatively young bowling attack.
"When you see your middle order, lower middle order score runs like that and finish off the job for the team, you get a lot of confidence as a captain and as a top order batsman," Gill said.
Explaining the decision at the toss, Gill said the move was based on the team's combination rather than the pitch.
"It was more about our combination. We have a youngish bowling attack, so our batting is still a bit more experienced than our bowling. We wanted to bowl first... even if there's a target of 320, we back the kind of batting order that we have," he said.
Despite being on the winning side it was a disappointing day for the senion duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as they were dismissed for 11 and 5 respectively.
The Indian skipper said the team is using the ongoing series to experiment with combinations ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup. As per a report by the Times of India, BCCI is also keen to implement a rotation policy in order to test all the players of the squad.
"We are really trying different combinations to see which kind of combination gives us the best depth in bowling and batting, in both departments," Gill said.
He added that the conditions in England offered a useful opportunity to prepare for the 2027 World Cup in South Africa.
"I think the wicket and the conditions were a bit similar to South Africa. It wasn't easy for the batsmen with the new ball as it was doing a bit, but the wicket settled in nicely. If we can test different combinations on these kinds of wickets, it would be great for us," he said.
(With ANI Inputs)
India Cricket Team
England Cricket Team
Virat Kohli
Rohit Sharma
Axar Patel