India captain Shubman Gill acknowledged that his team failed to capitalize in the middle overs, leading to their seven-wicket defeat against New Zealand in the second ODI at Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot
on Wednesday. He emphasized the difficulty of controlling the game without taking wickets during this crucial phase.
“We couldn’t pick up any wickets in the middle overs. With five fielders in, if you don’t keep taking wickets in the middle overs, it becomes very difficult, even if we had added 15-20 more runs. And if you don’t pick up wickets in the middle overs, it’s very difficult to stop a target,” Gill expressed during the post-match presentation.
India’s score of 284/7 was anchored by KL Rahul’s impressive 112 not out off 92 balls, his eighth century in the format. However, New Zealand successfully chased down the target, driven by Daryl Mitchell’s unbeaten 131. Mitchell also formed a strong 162-run partnership off 152 balls for the third wicket with Will Young, who scored 87.
Gill highlighted the importance of partnerships on such pitches, noting that it is essential for set batsmen to build significant scores. “On these kinds of wickets, as soon as you have a partnership, the set batsman has to make it big because it’s not easy for the batsman coming in to score freely.”
Despite India’s early efforts, Gill admitted that their bowling performance in the middle overs was lacking. “In the end, we did get a decent target on the board, and we bowled exceptionally well in the first 10 overs. We tried to squeeze them down and put them under pressure, but they batted really well in the middle overs.”
Gill also pointed out that batting conditions improved as the game progressed. “In the first 10-15 overs, the ball was doing a little bit. But after 20-25 overs, the wicket settled in a bit. I think we could have been a little braver and taken more chances while bowling in the middle overs.”
Fielding errors contributed to India’s defeat, Gill added. “Even in the last match, we missed a couple of chances. Fielding is an aspect we are always trying to improve. If you don’t take your chances in this format, it always makes you lose.”
New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell commended his team for their complete performance, securing a series-levelling win. “It is a complete performance from us, and I am proud of the team. We were very happy at the halfway point. We bowled very well. It was a typical Kiwi performance with the ball.
“We were prepared to chase anything. They bowled well, and the way our players adapted and absorbed the pressure was excellent. Daryl and Young then took the game away from India.”
Bracewell praised Mitchell’s strategy to tackle an off-form Kuldeep Yadav. “The batters read the conditions really well. We pride ourselves on being adaptable and facing the game head-on. Jayden Lennox bowled really well. It’s never easy to make your debut in India. He bowled the tough overs.”
With IANS Inputs
