'I Miscalculated': Shubman Gill Takes Responsibility for India's Loss to Bangladesh
Shubman Gill scored a century against Bangladesh | Source: Twitter
India's winning streak in the Asia Cup 2023 was finally snapped when Bangladesh pulled off a surprising five-run victory just before India's final match against Sri Lanka.
The gamble of resting senior players like Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah did not work out in India's favour in the dead rubber game, as they failed to chase down the target of 266 runs.
Apart from Shubman Gill and Axar Patel, no Indian batters really got in on the action with the bat. Gill went all guns blazing, hitting 121 runs from 133 balls, and Axar Patel chipped in with 42 runs from 34 balls.
Speaking after the game, Gill owned up to it, saying that if he had played a more conservative game and not been aggressive, India might have pulled off the win against Bangladesh.
Here’s what Shubman Gill said:
“When I got out actually .... something you miscalculated and I think this there was a miscalculation from my side. If I had batted a bit normally and not that aggressively I think we should have been able to get over the line. But these are the learning for us. Sometimes you misunderstood the situation and I did the same ....I have to learn from this. This wasn't final for us and we have to learn from this.”
Shakib Al Hasan and Towhid Hridoy lit up the scoreboard for Bangladesh after India invited them to bat first, both smashing brilliant fifties. The Bangladesh pacers, in reply, were on point, delivering with incredible accuracy to defend their total.
Gill further delved into the tough conditions in Colombo, mentioning how the ball was spinning, making it tricky to grab singles. Interestingly, India is gearing up for a final match against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2023 at R. Premadasa Stadium, and there have been reports that the same pitch from the Bangladesh match will be in play.
“We discussed how to cut short dot balls. The wicket was slow and the ball was turning so it was not easy to take singles on this pitch. We have to manage our recovery during the World Cup as many matches in north India and winters will hit that time so we have to manage things during break time between matches.”
The senior players who got a breather against Bangladesh will make their return to the squad for the Asia Cup 2023 final. It will be fascinating to see how they take on Sri Lanka, who have been in top form throughout the tournament.
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