NEW DELHI: Shubman Gill delivered a brilliant seventh ODI century, while Virat Kohli contributed a crucial fifty as India crushed England by 142 runs in the final match, securing a dominant 3-0 series sweep. The emphatic victory also marked a strong conclusion to India’s Champions Trophy preparations.
Gill’s outstanding 112 off 102 balls was the highlight of India’s innings, supported by key contributions from Kohli (52) and Shreyas Iyer (78), as the hosts posted an imposing 356 after being asked to bat first.
India’s bowlers then took charge, bundling out England for 214 in just 34.2 overs, sealing their second-largest ODI win by runs against the visitors.
England began brightly against India’s pace attack, with Ben Duckett (34) and Phil Salt (24) leading the charge. However, their struggles against spin resurfaced as the pitch slowed down, making scoring increasingly difficult.
Duckett, after smashing Arshdeep Singh (2/33) for four consecutive boundaries in one over, perished trying to repeat the feat, caught by Rohit Sharma at mid-off. Arshdeep then dismissed Salt with a well-disguised slower bouncer, comfortably taken by Axar Patel.
Tom Banton, playing his first ODI against India, showed promise with two stylish reverse sweeps but managed only 38 off 41 balls. Joe Root (24) was bowled via an inside edge by Axar (2/22), while Harshit Rana (2/31) dismantled England’s middle order by removing Harry Brook (19) and Jos Buttler (6) in quick succession.
From a steady 84/2 after 10 overs, England crumbled under relentless pressure, failing to capitalize on favorable batting conditions.
Gill Leads India’s Batting Dominance
Earlier, Gill anchored India’s innings with a fluent knock of 112 from 104 balls, including 14 fours and 3 sixes, raising his ODI average beyond 60. He stitched crucial century partnerships with both Kohli and Iyer, guiding India to a formidable total.
Gill also became the first India vice-captain to score centuries across all international formats at the Narendra Modi Stadium, having previously notched an IPL hundred at the same venue.
While Gill played with authority against both pace and spin, he eventually fell to Adil Rashid (4/64), who was England’s standout bowler.
Kohli, after a slow start, found his rhythm with some exquisite strokes, including three boundaries off Mark Wood and Saqib Mahmood. However, he struggled against Rashid, who dismissed him for the fifth time in ODIs, caught behind for 52.
Despite his fifty, Kohli remained 37 runs short of reaching 14,000 ODI runs, a milestone he is likely to achieve during the Champions Trophy.
India’s captain Rohit Sharma (1) had an early exit, edging Wood to Salt behind the stumps, while Iyer fell after an ill-judged attempt to chase a delivery down the leg side off Rashid.
With this dominant performance, India sent a strong message ahead of the Champions Trophy, showcasing their depth in both batting and bowling.
