With India losing back-to-back ODI series under captain Shubman — a rare low for the Men in Blue — mid-day highlights how the team’s One-Day International fortunes have plummeted under his leadership so far
India skipper Shubman Gill. Pic/BCCI
1st ODI vs Australia at Perth
Lost by 7 wickets (DLS method)
It was a forgettable debut as ODI captain for Shubman Gill. In a rain-curtailed match reduced to 26 overs, India’s top-order collapsed to 45-4 before managing 136-9. Gill struggled against the pace of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, managing only 10 off 18 balls. In reply, Australia chased the target with 29 balls to spare, making Gill only the second Indian captain after Virat Kohli to lose his debut match as skipper in all three formats.
2nd ODI vs Australia at Adelaide
Lost by 2 wickets
Gill's struggles, not just as captain, but also as a batter continued as he was dismissed for a mere nine in the second ODI. The 26-year-old was then criticised for not keeping an attacking field after the Aussies were reduced to 54-2 while chasing 265. He also copped flak for holding back pacer Arshdeep Singh at the death, a decision that saw Australia snatch a two-wicket win and with it, the series.
3rd ODI vs Australia at Sydney
Won by 9 wickets
With the series already lost, Gill finally tasted success as skipper. While he contributed only 24 runs with the bat, his presence on the field as skipper was markedly different. He appeared more relaxed as a leader, engaging in constant discussions with his seniors. He utilised spinner Washington Sundar and pacer Harshit Rana effectively in the middle overs, choking Australia’s scoring rate as the hosts slipped from 183-3 in 33.3 overs to 236 all out in 46.4 overs. India won with nine wickets and 69 balls to spare.
1st ODI vs NEW ZEALAND at Vadodara
Won by 4 wickets
Gill, returning from a neck injury, looked in complete control in his first home ODI as captain. His bowling changes in the second half of the innings were sharp as NZ were restricted to 300-8 after appearing to cross the 325 mark, being 146-2 in 27.4 overs. Gill then played according to the situation with the bat, leading from the front and anchoring the chase with a patient 56 off 71 balls. He shared a match-winning 118-run stand off 107 deliveries with Kohli (93 off 91 balls).
2nd ODI vs NEW ZEALAND at Rajkot
Lost by 7 wickets
Batting first, despite Gill scoring 56 off 53 balls, India managed only 284-7 in the allotted 50 overs on a flat Rajkot track. Gill was criticised for his defensive mindset as he pushed his fielders back, allowing easy singles that enabled Daryl Mitchell (131) and Will Young (87) to take the game away from the hosts with a 162-run stand after the Kiwis were 46-2 in 12.4 overs. NZ chased the target with 15 balls to spare and levelled the series 1-1.
3rd ODI vs NEW ZEALAND at Indore
Lost by 41 runs
Gill failed to contribute both as batter and skipper this time. The opener scored just 23 while chasing a daunting 338-run target. His tactics were questionable again as India didn’t do well in the field. Also, there seemed to be a lack of involvement from Gill, who was stationed at long-off for a major part of the match during Mitchell (137) and Glenn Phillips’s (106) 219-run stand. A clueless Gill could do little as NZ recorded a historic ODI series victory in India.
33.3
India’s winning percentage in ODIs under Shubman Gill’s leadership. The team have lost four and won only two under his captaincy
100
India’s winning percentage in ODIs under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy last year before Shubman Gill was handed the leadership. The team won all eight matches, including the ICC Champions Trophy title
29.66
Gill’s batting average as ODI captain, which is far lower than his average of 59.04 pre-captaincy
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