Shubman Gill’s sublime 208 lifts India to 349/8 in 1st ODI vs New Zealand

Opener Shubman Gill became the fifth Indian batter to score a double hundred in ODIs and the youngest to achieve the feat as Team India posted 349/8 against New Zealand in Hyderabad on Wednesday, January 18. The Men in Blue batted first after winning the toss in the first ODI as Gill dominated the innings, smashing 19 fours and nine sixes in his 149-ball knock.

Batting on 182 after 48 overs, Gill reached his double hundred in spectacular fashion, clobbering Lockie Ferguson for three consecutive sixes off the first three balls of the penultimate over. He began the last over with another maximum of Henry Shipley, before holing out to deep midwicket on the next ball. Gill's double hundred comes a little over a month after Ishan Kishan hammered 210 off 131 balls in Chattogram against Bangladesh.

Batting first after winning the toss in Hyderabad, India got off to an impressive start as Gill and skipper Rohit Sharma added 60 for the opening wicket. However, the Indian captain once again perished after getting a start. On 34, he skied a catch to mid-on, looking for a big hit against Blair Tickner.

Virat Kohli was then stunned by Mitchell Santner for eight. He looked to defend a delivery from the left-arm spinner on the backfoot, but was completely beaten by the turn and cleaned up. New Zealand could have dismissed Gill for 45 in the 19th over, but Tom Latham dropped a catch and also missed a stumping off the same delivery as the Indian opener charged down the track to Michael Bracewell

To add insult to injury, Gill brought up his half-century in the same over, slog-sweeping the off-spinner for a maximum. Even as the in-form batter went strong at one end, India kept losing wickets from the other. Ishan Kishan (five) was caught behind off Ferguson, who managed to seam the ball away slightly. Suryakumar Yadav looked good during his 31, a knock studded with four fours before chipping a catch off Daryl Mitchell straight to cover.

Hardik Pandya (28 off 38) struggled for momentum and was dismissed in bizarre fashion. He tried to cut a delivery from Mitchell but was beaten. The bails were dislodged, but keeper Latham’s gloves were right next to the stumps. There were indications that the gloves may have disturbed the bails, but the third umpire felt otherwise.

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Gill provides India with final flourish

Hardik fell in the 40th over and India were 251/5 with 60 balls to go. Gill reached his 150 by launching Bracewell for a six over wide long-on. Washington Sundar was trapped lbw by Henry Shipley for 12.

There was another life for Gill as he was put down at deep third man off Blair Tickner’s bowling in the 46th over. He was earlier dropped in the 38th over when Shipley failed to latch on to a return catch.

Shardul Thakur was run out for three, sacrificing his wicket after a mix-up with the centurion. Gill then went absolutely berserk at the end. In the 48th over, he slapped Tickner for a six over long-on and then pulled one over square leg for another maximum. Four more sixes followed off his bat as India set New Zealand a target of 350.