Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra hailed Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer after their impressive knocks in the third ODI against England, which the hosts won by 142 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
While Gill scored a majestic knock of 112 runs off just 102 balls, Iyer scored 78 runs off just 64 balls in the final ODI. Gill, who is familiar with the venue as he leads Gujarat Titans in the IPL, scored his seventh ODI century.
Gill added 116 runs with Virat Kohli, who showed glimpses of his form with a 52-run knock. The Indian vice-captain also added 104 runs with Shreyas Iyer, who scored his second fifty of the series.
Ergo, India posted a par score of 356 runs on the board after Jos Buttler decided to bowl first.
“The boy (Gill) likes Ahmedabad a lot. He has scored a century here in all three formats – Tests, ODIs and T20Is. He captains his team (Gujarat Titans) on this ground only and scores a lot of runs there as well. This knock established once again that he is a proper player,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
“Shubman Gill kept getting better and better as the series progressed. He is showcasing that this is his preferred and favorite format and the same is the case with Shreyas Iyer. You people will save us in the Champions Trophy because these two guys are looking consistent,” Chopra added.
Gill scored 259 runs in three ODIs against England at an average of 86.33 whereas Iyer amassed 181 runs in as many games at an average of 60.33.
Chopra noted that Gill looked in complete control throughout his knock as he batted at his best.
“He looked in complete control and command from the first ball. You get a feeling that he is controlling the game. He has control over his game in any case, he was doing everything he wanted to do, but he was also controlling the game,” he said.
“He was deciding when to go down the track and hit straight or play on the off-side and when to hit a six off a spinner. It didn’t matter even if there was a fielder in the deep. He is very, very good and he doesn’t play unconventional shots. He plays proper cricket,” Chopra observed.
Gill was awarded Player of the Match as well as the Series for his consistent performances.
