AHMEDABAD, Feb 12:
Shubman Gill dazzled with his seventh ODI hundred, while the embattled Virat Kohli got a crucial fifty as India hammered England by 142 runs in the third and final match to complete a 3-0 series sweep for a perfect end to their Champions Trophy preparations here on Wednesday.
Gill’s 102-ball 112 was the highlight but middle-order mainstays Kohli (52) and Shreyas Iyer (78) were also instrumental in pushing India to a formidable 356 in the first half after being put in to bat.
Indian bowlers then took over the mantle to complete England’s demolition, bundling out the visitors for a mere 214 in 34.2 overs to complete a comprehensive victory — their second largest in ODIs in terms of runs — against a familiar opponent.
There was no change in the script for English, who came crashing down against spin after a sparkling start against pace, which was provided by the pair of Ben Duckett (34) and Phil Salt (24) in tow.
The slowness of the surface aided Indian bowlers as strike-making became difficult as the match progressed.
Duckett took charge of England’s response early on but played one shot too many. After smacking Arshdeep Singh (2/33) for four consecutive boundaries around the park in the fifth over, he again went after the left-arm seamer but was deceived by the ‘pace off’ knuckle ball.
The mishit was collected cleanly by India skipper Rohit Sharma at mid-off and Arshdeep soon bounced out Salt, albeit off a slower one which the batter hit meekly to Axar Patel for a simple grab.
Tom Banton gave a good example of himself playing his first ODI against India, hitting a couple of attractive reverse sweeps against spinners but he could not push on beyond a 41-ball 38 with four fours and two sixes.
Joe Root perished for just 24 when an inside edge off Axar (2/22) crashed into his stumps and Harshit Rana (2/31) hastened the end of England’s resistance by getting the rid of Harry Brook (19) and Jos Buttler (6) in quick succession.
From 84/2 after 10 overs, England’s resolve petered out as Indian bowlers tightened the screws with regular strikes and the visitors also lacked gumption on a pitch which remained true in its nature.
Earlier, Gill led the way with a fluent 112 while Kohli and Iyer also cashed in on ideal conditions in their last outing before the Champions Trophy, helping India set a 357-run target. (PTI)
BRIEF SCORES
India: 356 all out in 50 overs (Shubman Gill 112, Virat Kohli 52, Shreyas Iyer 78, Adil Rashid 4/64).
England: 214 in 34.2 overs (Tom Banton 38; Arshdeep Singh 2/33, Harshit Rana 2/31, Axar Patel 2/22)
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