Shubman Gill reveals key reason behind India’s second ODI defeat as England level series against India

India captain Shubman Gill admitted his team failed to make the most of a strong position after England bounced back to level the three-match ODI series with a four-wicket win in Cardiff on Thursday. While India’s top order gave the visitors a solid platform, Gill felt the innings lost direction in the middle overs, ultimately leaving England with a manageable target.

Joe Root’s unbeaten 99 guided the hosts to victory as England chased down 234 in 44.1 overs to make it 1-1 heading into the series decider.

Gill rues batting collapse after promising start

India looked on course for a much bigger total after reaching 178/3, but the innings quickly unravelled as they lost four wickets for just 15 runs, slipping to 193/7 in only 26 deliveries.

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Looking back at the batting effort, Gill admitted the team had expected to post well over 300.

“We thought 300-310 would be a good total after 25 overs when we were in a good position, but we lost too many wickets in the middle overs,” Gill said.

Lower middle order failed to finish the job

The Indian skipper felt the batters in the middle and lower order should have converted their starts into meaningful contributions after the top order had done the hard work.

“Our tailenders are not the best batsmen, but we expected more from the lower middle-order batters and they were not able to capitalise on their starts,” Gill said.

Washington Sundar’s injury hurt India’s bowling plans

Gill also pointed to Washington Sundar’s injury as an important moment in the match. The all-rounder was unable to complete his full role, forcing India to rely heavily on their frontline fast bowlers.

“Never a good feeling when you ping one to cover. (Washington) Sundar is a key part of our team. Maybe it would have played a part, squeezing in the pressure.”

Although Gill admitted the conditions continued to assist the seamers, he felt losing an all-rounder like Sundar affected the team’s momentum.

“We had to bowl our main bowlers throughout the innings. I don’t think it would have made a huge difference because the ball was doing more for the fast bowlers, but when you lose a key player, there is some momentum loss.“

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Gill praises Joe Root’s match-winning knock

Gill had special praise for Joe Root, who remained unbeaten on 99 and controlled England’s chase with his trademark calm approach.

The India captain said the visitors knew they had a chance only if the required run rate climbed, but Root never allowed that to happen.

“We always knew that if the run-rate was five or more, we could have got a false shot out of him, but this kind of chase, he’s a master of these totals.”

England level series ahead of decider

Player of the Match Joe Root was pleased with England’s response after the defeat in the opening ODI and said grinding out victories in challenging conditions is a sign of a strong team.

With the series now tied at 1-1, both teams will head into the final ODI with everything to play for as India look to bounce back and England aim to complete a remarkable comeback.