GUWAHATI: Indian batter Rohit Sharma hailed his opening partner and skipper Shubman Gill for his brutal double ton in a record-breaking chase against West Indies in the second ODI at Guwahati on Wednesday, saying that after fielding for a whole innings, such a big knock shows his “determination and concentration”.
During a successful record-breaking run chase of 406 runs, the best-ever by an Indian and the second-best of all time, centurion Rohit Sharma put on a 255-run opening stand with skipper Gill, the second-best by an Indian opening pair in ODIs. Gill kept firing all the cylinders even after his former captain was dismissed, smashing the fastest ODI century by an Indian captain and later the fastest double ton in ODI history, finishing at an unbeaten 223* in 133 balls, with 26 fours and eight sixes.
Rohit (three double tons) and Gill (two double tons) are now a part of a special ODI club as players with multiple double tons.
Speaking in a video by BCCI, Rohit said about Gill’s double ton, “It feels good, man. You don’t score 200 every day, so… It is a very memorable moment for him because he played beautifully, as we all saw. Very much in control from ball number one till the end of it. What was pleasing to see was fielding for 50 overs and then batting for almost 40-odd overs. It is not easy, but that shows determination and concentration, which we always talk about. So, it is a very confidence thing within the team. As I said, it doesn’t happen every time, these kind of performances, we will take a lot from this.”
Rohit also fired a 75-ball 101, with 10 fours and six sixes, becoming the third Indian to reach 12,000 ODI runs and the first batter to 200 sixes at home.
Speaking on his century, Rohit said, “It was hot, it was humid. When conditions are challenging, not the pitch, you know, I would take a lot of confidence from this. It is not an easy thing. You know, more than getting a 100, I think it was very, very pleasing for me to be out there, fighting for the team, doing the job.”
“And I am sure it will be the same for him (Gill) as well, because fielding for 50 overs, captaining for 50 overs… The captain goes through so much stress every now and then at occasions of the game. And then to come out and bat, and have that concentration and stay not out… Big positive,” he added.
Gill spoke on how Rohit makes the job easier for the other opener and how the talk was to cross 70-80 runs within the first 10 overs. The Indian skipper also added that after Rohit unleashed his hitting, he decided to target the short boundary and take the attack against bowlers.
“He makes the job of the other opener very easy. We thought at the end of the Powerplay, if we are around 70โ80 runs without losing any wicket, we’d be in a good position. And that is what we did. And after the Powerplay, Rohit bhai just unleashed, and then I had to catch up at one point. And then once I caught up, then I thought if the ball is in my zone, I will target the short boundary, and I’ll take on the bowlers,” he said.
On Rohit’s animated celebration, which saw him hopping with his knees high and punching the air in delight, Gill said, “I was very happy to see Rohit bhai celebrating. He generally never takes off his helmet, never celebrates, but the way he celebrated, I was very happy to see that.”
On his celebration, Rohit said that “some celebrations are personal”.
“Some celebrations are very, very personal, so you do not need to, every time when you do something on the field, you need to come and explain,” he said.
Gill ended unbeaten during the record-breaking chase of 406 runs at 223* in 133 balls, with 26 fours and eight sixes at a strike rate of over 167, which is the third-highest ODI score by a batter, next to Rohit Sharma (264) and New Zealand’s Martin Guptill (237*).
Gill overtook Ishan Kishan’s record of a 126-ball double ton against Bangladesh in 2022. Now, Gill, with two double tons, is the second batter alongside Rohit Sharma (3) with multiple double tons.
Gill’s feat also made him only the second batter after Glenn Maxwell to score an ODI double century while chasing. Maxwell had produced his remarkable 201 not out against Afghanistan at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in 2023 during the 50-over World Cup.
Gill also surpassed Maxwell’s Wankhede miracle to register the highest individual score while chasing.
Gill also became the first-ever cricketer to slam a double ton while leading the side, having cracked a classy 269 against England at Edgbaston last year.
The Indian skipper also overtook Virender Sehwag’s 219 against WI in 2011 to register the highest-ever ODI score by an Indian captain.
Gill reached his second-successive hundred of the series and third-straight ODI ton on home soil in just 62 balls, overtaking Rohit’s record for fastest century by an Indian skipper. The ‘Hitman’ had cracked a 63-ball ton against Afghanistan in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup in Delhi.
The fastest ODI ton for India in men’s cricket, though, remains with Virat Kohli, who cracked a 52-ball ton against Australia in 2013.
Gill also raced to the 150-run mark in 89 balls, the fastest by an Indian in an ODI.
This year in 11 ODIs and 10 innings, Gill has scored 894 runs at an average of 127.71 and a strike rate of 119.51, including three fours and five sixes.
In 69 ODIs and 68 innings, Gill has scored 3,712 runs at an average of 65.12 and a strike rate of over 103, with 11 centuries and 20 fifties.
Coming to the match, India won the toss and elected to field first. Incredibly paced centuries from John Campbell (101 in 68 balls, with nine fours and five sixes), Shai Hope (104 in 94 balls, with eight fours and three sixes) and Amir Jangoo (114 in 77 balls, with nine fours and three sixes) took WI to their highest ODI total ever, of 405/7.
Gurnoor Brar (2/96), debutant Auqib Nabi (0/84 in 8.5 overs) and Ravindra Jadeja (2/75) were thrashed by WI batters. Kuldeep Yadav (2/65) delivered the best among bowlers.
Thanks to a 255-run stand between Rohit Sharma (101 in 75 balls, with 10 fours and six sixes), Gill’s double ton and cameos of 29 in 19 balls by Virat Kohli and 31* in 37 by Ruturaj Gaikwad, India has pulled off their highest ODI chase ever and overall second-highest chase in the 50-over format with eight wickets in hand.
