Shubman Gill Gives Blunt Verdict After ODI Series Loss Against New Zealand: "Disappointed"
Indian cricket team skipper Shubman Gill expressed his disappointment after his side's ODI series loss against New Zealand on Sunday.
- Shubman Gill expressed disappointment after India's ODI series loss to New Zealand
- "After the first match, coming here 1-1, the way we played - disappointed," the India skipper said
- New Zealand clinched the series 2-1 after winning the third ODI encounter by 41 runs
Indian cricket team skipper Shubman Gill expressed his disappointment after his side's ODI series loss against New Zealand on Sunday. Star batter Virat Kohli slammed a sensational century but it was not enough as India slumped to a 41-run loss against New Zealand in the 3rd ODI match in Indore. Batting first, New Zealand posted a mammoth total of 337/8 thanks to tons from Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips. In reply, Kohli played a brilliant knock and was even supported by Nitish Kumar Reddy as well as Harshit Rana but it was not enough. Following the series loss, Gill said that he was disappointed with how the team played and added that there were many areas that they need to look back and reflect on.
"After the first match, coming here 1-1, the way we played - disappointed. There are areas we need to look back, reflect and do better. (On the positives) The way Virat is batting is always is a plus. The way Harshit has batted in this series, batting at No. 8 is not easy," he said at the post-match presentation.
"The way he stepped up and the way the fast bowlers bowled in this series was good as well. Keeping the World Cup in mind, we want to give him (Nitish Reddy) opportunities and we want to give him enough overs and see what kind of combinations work for us and what kind of deliveries work for him," he added.
Coming to the match,  Kohli's magnificent, combative century, forged with trademark resolve under mounting pressure, proved heartbreakingly insufficient as India slumped to their first-ever bilateral ODI series defeat at home against New Zealand, losing the decider by 41 runs.
Kohli's 124 off 108 balls was a study in controlled aggression and steely temperament. The chase master shouldered the responsibility almost single-handedly, counter-punching a disciplined New Zealand attack with crisp drives, well-judged pulls and calculated risks over the ropes.
As wickets tumbled regularly at the other end, Kohli dug in, refusing to let the chase drift away, but once he fell late in the innings, India's resistance finally collapsed at 296 in 46 overs while chasing a stiff 338.
The defeat not only handed New Zealand a 2-1 series win but also marked a historic first -- India had never before lost a home ODI series to the Kiwis.
It was a sobering evening for the hosts, made more poignant by the fact that one of their finest modern-day batters had delivered a near-perfect response to adversity.
Earlier, Daryl Mitchell's second consecutive hundred and Glenn Phillips' blistering century powered New Zealand to a competitive 337 for eight despite early jolts from India's pace attack.
Mitchell (137) and Phillips (106) stitched together a 219-run partnership for the fourth wicket that turned the innings on its head.
(With PTI inputs)
Virat Kohli
India Cricket Team
New Zealand Cricket Team