India just pulled off one of the greatest chases in the ODI cricket history and even captain Shubman Gill could not believe how tough and special it was. On Wednesday, in the second ODI against West Indies, India chased down a massive target of 406 runs to win by 8 wickets. With this win, India has taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
West Indies had batted first and scored 405/7 in their 50 overs, which is their highest ever total in ODI cricket. But India made the huge chase look easy and finished it in just 43.3 overs. The heroes of the chase were captain Shubman Gill, who scored an unbeaten double-century, and senior batter Rohit Sharma, who scored a hundred.
After the match, Shubman Gill said he was completely exhausted but very proud of the team. He said that at the half-time break, when they saw 400 runs on the board, there was definitely some pressure. He explained that no matter what the pitch or ground is, chasing 400 is never easy and he was proud that he could stay not out till the end.
Shubman Gill revealed what the team’s plan was. He said they had set a small target for the first 10 overs powerplay – to score around 75 to 80 runs without losing wickets. They knew that once the ball became a bit old, batting would become easier.
He said they had thought that if they could reach around 200 to 210 runs by the 25th over, they would be in a good position. But they actually did even better and were around 230 to 240 runs by that time. After that, he said, the pressure shifted from India to West Indies.
The Indian captain also admitted that the bowlers did not start well. Just like in the first game, they struggled in the powerplay as West Indies batted with a lot of freedom and batted very well. At one point, he felt West Indies could even score 420 to 430 runs, so to pull them back by 20 to 30 runs at the end was a big bonus for India.
Shubman Gill also talked about how difficult the conditions were. He said every part of his body was cramping. It was very hot in the afternoon. He shared that when only 13 overs of fielding were done, it already felt like they had fielded for 25 overs because of the way West Indies were batting.
With the series already in control, Shubman Gill hinted that India might try new players in the next match. He said they would ideally like to give a chance to players who have not yet got a chance in the series and they will see which combination suits the team best.
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