Virat Kohli // Getty
Virat Kohli // Getty

Sunil Gavaskar was critical of Virat Kohli after his dismissal during the first ODI match between India and New Zealand. Virat Kohli scored only 8 off 10 balls before being outfoxed by Kiwi spinner Mitchell Santner.

Former Indian cricket team skipper Sunil Gavaskar was critical of Virat Kohli after the right-hander was dismissed cheaply by Mitchell Santner during the first ODI encounter between India and New Zealand in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

Virat Kohli was out for 8 in the first ODI against New Zealand.© AFP
Virat Kohli was out for 8 in the first ODI against New Zealand.© AFP

Sunil Gavaskar Critical Of Virat Kohli’s Dismissal In The 1st ODI

Virat Kohli came into the series on the back of two massive hundreds against Sri Lanka but was unable to repeat his magic. He was foxed by a straight delivery from spinner Mitchell Santner that did very little off the pitch and it crashed into the off stump after Virat Kohli failed to make any contact with his bat.

The former Indian skipper Virat Kohli won the Player of the Series award for his dominant performances against Sri Lanka, smashing two centuries, including an unbeaten knock of 166 runs in the third and final ODI. He also scored 113 in the 1st ODI and amassed 283 runs in 3 ODIs averaging 142.5.

“He’s played inside the line, therefore allowing the ball to turn just that little bit to go past the outside edge. He has played back to a ball that he should have played forward to. It wasn’t a short ball. It just turned a little bit, and it went past the outside edge of a batter who is in tremendous form,” Sunil Gavaskar said.

Shubman Gill settled the debate for the opener’s slot with a coming of age doubled hundred before India survived Michael Bracewell’s blitzkrieg to pull off a nervy 12-run win over New Zealand in the first ODI of the three-match series In Hyderabad  on Wednesday.

Sunil Gavaskar. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Sunil Gavaskar. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Shubman Gill oozed class in his special 208 off 149 balls and batted through the innings to power India to 349 for eight. Skipper Rohit Sharma’s 34 off 38 was the second best score of the innings, highlighting that it was very much a one-man show. Shubman Gill hit a staggering 19 fours and 9 sixes in his scintillating knock. He hit a hat-trick of sixes in the 49th over to bring his 200.

Chasing a big target, New Zealand were down and out at 131 for six before Michael Bracewell (140 off 78) came up with up a stunning century to bring his team back in the game from nowhere. He shared 162 off 102 balls with fellow left-hander Mitchell Santner (57 off 45), New Zealand’s highest seventh wicket stand in ODIs, to test India’s nerves.

Playing in front of his home crowd, pacer Mohammed Siraj (4/46) produced a match-winning effort to stop New Zealand, who ended at 337.

Shubman Gill Became The Youngest To Score A 200 Breaking Ishan Kishan’s Record

After India opted to bat, the 23-year-old Shubman Gill owned the stage and became the youngest batter to score a double hundred in ODI history. By doing so, he broke the record of Ishan Kishan, who was controversially dropped for the Sri Lanka ODIs after smashing a double ton in Bangladesh last month.

Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan Photo: © BCCI (Main Image)
Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan Photo: © BCCI (Main Image)

Shubman Gill, who was touted as the next big thing in Indian cricket ever since he displayed his talent in the 2018 U-19 World Cup, hammered 19 fours and nine sixes, six of them coming after his 150. The double century was also his second successive three digit score.

At age of 23, Shubman Gill became the fifth Indian male cricketer to register an ODI double century after Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma (3 ODI double tons including a 264) and Ishan Kishan.

Brief Scores: India 349/8 (Shubman Gill 208, Rohit Sharma 34; Daryl Mitchell 2-30) won over New Zealand: 337 (Michael Bracewell 140, Mitchell Santner 57, Mohammed Siraj 4/46).