After steering India to a four-wicket win over England in the ODI series opener with a calm 87, top-order batter Shubman Gill said he was not focused on getting his century, and was just looking at the field placements set for him at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur. “No, I wasn’t thinking about my century. I was focused on the field placements and played my shots accordingly. I wanted to dominate the bowler, and I would have played the same shot even if I was in my 60s,” said Gill to Disney Hotstar.
He also shared his thoughts on adjusting to batting at number three after playing all the time as an opener. “I play at No. 3 in Tests, so it wasn’t a big adjustment. It’s always a challenge at that position because you have to adapt to the game situation. If the team loses quick wickets, you need to play sensibly. If the team starts well, you need to carry the momentum. My approach was simple—play according to the situation.”
Talking about his partnership with Shreyas Iyer, who made 59, Gill said, “We lost two early wickets, but the plan was to play according to the field and not hold back. After a few overs, the line and lengths became predictable, which helped us score faster.”
Asked about younger Indian batters frequently using the sweep and reverse sweep against spinners, Gill said, “It’s an individual choice, not a team strategy. Every batsman has a plan to target specific areas. Many players are practicing sweeps and reverse sweeps in the nets to have more options while batting.”
Gill signed off by reassuring everyone that Virat Kohli, who missed the first ODI due to knee swelling, will be back for the second game at Cuttack on Sunday. “It’s nothing serious. He was fine during yesterday’s practice, but he woke up with some swelling in his knee this morning. He’ll definitely be back for the second ODI.”
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