IND vs NZ: "Shubman Gill's Double Century Put An End To The Debate Over Rohit Sharma's 50-Over Opening Partner": Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan thinks the discussion over Rohit Sharma’s opening partner in 50-over cricket has been settled with Shubman Gill’s double century in the first One-Day International between India and New Zealand.

On January 18 in Hyderabad, the Men in Blue set a lofty 350-run goal for Tom Latham and company, and Gill hammered 208 runs off 149 balls. Then, their bowlers dismissed the visitors for 337 runs to secure a slim 12-run victory.

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Pathan expressed his opinion that Shubman Gill had secured his position as India’s opener in ODI cricket during a conversation on Star Sports, saying:

“Which young batter should open the inning is an issue that shouldn’t even be broached at this point. Gill, you have fully addressed the query, and your performance has secured the opening position.”

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Irfan Pathan believes the Punjab opener had already claimed the position even if he hadn’t doubled up on Wednesday’s century, saying:

“He accomplished this with the century he scored today, even if he hadn’t made a double century. It was his second consecutive century, turning his first century into a double century.”

With his 208-run effort, the 23-year-old became the youngest player to achieve a double century in ODI cricket.

Irfan Pathan praised Shubman Gill for his skill in dealing with both spin and pace:

Pathan commended Gill for demonstrating his skill against pace and spin, and in particular for humiliating Lockie Ferguson, explaining:

“We watched how brilliantly Shubman Gill batted, how well he used his feet, how well he played spin, and how well he smashed drives straight down the ground against quick bowling. He hit Lockie Ferguson three times in a row; the two of them were teammates on the Gujarat Titans.”

During his innings, Gill hit nine sixes and 19 fours. In the final three overs of India’s innings, six of those maximums occurred, including three off the first three balls of Ferguson’s 49th over.

Also Read: IND vs NZ: Aakash Chopra Praises Michael Bracewell For His Fighting Century Against India

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