Gill, 23, created history in the first ODI, becoming the youngest batter to smash a double hundred in the format. He scored 208 off 149 balls, hammering 19 fours and nine sixes. Thanks to his brilliance, India posted 349/8 and went on to clinch the game by 12 runs.
It was pretty much a one-man show from Gill as the next-best score in India’s innings was 34 from skipper Rohit Sharma. Reflecting on his spectacular performance, the batter admitted that he was itching to open up in the last 10 overs but had to hold himself back. The youngster said at a press conference:
India have been guilty of being conservative in the middle overs in ODIs over the last couple of years. However, during the Sri Lanka series as well as in Hyderabad on Wednesday, they showed much better intent during the same phase. On whether there was a specific plan in place, Gill replied:
The Indian opener added 65 for the fourth wicket with Suryakumar Yadav (31) and 74 for the fifth wicket with Hardik Pandya (28 off 38) to consolidate the innings.
“Making Yuvi paaji and my dad proud is a special feeling” - Shubman Gill
Following Gill’s magnificent double hundred, his mentor Yuvraj Singh took to social media and tweeted that it was a very proud day for him and the opener’s dad. Asked about his thoughts on Yuvraj’s emotional tweet, Gill admitted that it was a nice feeling. He elaborated:
After Gill’s 208 set New Zealand a target of 350, Michael Bracewell slammed 140 off 78 as the visitors responded with a gritty 337 all-out.
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