Follow UsIndia strangled Bangladesh with an incisive opening spell in the ICC Cricket World Cup match in Pune, but after that, it seemed like a one-way street, with openers Tanzid Hasan and Litton Das forging a 93-run partnership. Barring the first five overs, it seemed like Bangladesh had no intention of slowing down below 400 - such was the approach.
However, a calculated Indian bowling attack had other plans. The procession was started by Kuldeep Yadav, who caught Hasan plumb in front before Ravindra Jadeja sent skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and Liton Das back with his agile spin bowling. Even though Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim provided very good resistance in the middle-overs, breaking away was not going to be easy.
“I don't think after the first match there was much assistance for the spinners. But the way they have bowled in the middle overs has been exceptional. And that's been actually game-changing for us,” Gill said in the post-match press conference in Pune.
“At one point, we were looking at maybe 300 - 320 the way their openers were batting, but the way I think, especially in the middle overs, our bowlers are coming in, especially spinners and getting us those crucial breakthroughs and keeping the pressure on the batsmen, that's a big difference for us.”
After Rohit Sharma set up the base with a 40-ball 48, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli took things from there. Gill managed a fifty of his own, but Kohli was in his elements, understandable from the way he started the innings. A century was only a logical conclusion.
“I don't think the pitch changed much, honestly. It was a good batting wicket. The approach while chasing, Rohit has been batting exceptionally well and he's been all guns blazing, especially while chasing. And I think that's giving us the right momentum. And then it's easier for the batsmen who are coming in when the run rate is around four or five in chasing,” the Punjab batter added.
Ravindra Jadeja made a solid fielding effort by diving to his left and catching the offering from Rahim, whereas KL Rahul helped send Mehidy Hasan Miraz back to the pavilion with an effort that would be talked about for many days. Rahul leaped to his left and grabbed the catch - a reminder of how far he has already come in the wicket-keeping journey. Gill asserted that upping the fielding effort becomes non-negotiable while adding that both catches were spectacular.
“We all spend a lot of time on our fielding because I think as a batsman and a bowler, as a batsman I don't know how many balls I will face in the match, but I know for sure that I will be there for 50 overs, and I will field for 50 overs.
“Same for bowlers, they know that they are going to bowl maybe 8, 9, 10 overs, but they have to field for 50 overs, and as a cricketer, I think it's a very important skill, and we keep upping our fielding skills whenever we get the chance, and I think both the catches were fantastic in terms of where the game was at that point of time. I can't single out because both were spectacular,” Gill stated.