Shubman Gill Calls Pull Shot His Favorite, Harshit Rana Says Playing for India Was a Dream; Axar Patel Knew He Would Bat in the Middle Order

India clinched a commanding 4-wicket victory over England in the first ODI of the three-match series. England, batting first, was bowled out for 248 runs, and thanks to a solid partnership between Shubman Gill and Axar Patel, India successfully chased down the target, reaching 251 runs in 38.4 overs.

After the match, debutant Harshit Rana expressed his joy, saying, “Playing for India was always a dream. I worked very hard for this moment.” Player of the Match Shubman Gill highlighted his favorite moment from the game, saying, “The pull shot I played was my favorite one.” Meanwhile, Axar Patel, who played a crucial knock, revealed, “I knew I would be batting in the middle order.”

Harshit Rana: Playing for India Was a Dream

Harshit Rana, who took 3 wickets on his ODI debut, reflected on his performance, stating, “I have prepared myself for this and worked hard. Initially, I wasn’t hitting the right lengths, but once I adjusted, I was rewarded.”

Discussing his bowling strategy, he added, “Phil Salt and Ben Duckett were trying to create room while playing, so I focused on bowling at the stumps. The pitch was offering assistance to both fast and slow deliveries, and I experimented accordingly.”

Shubman Gill: Focused on Positive Cricket

Shubman Gill, who scored 87 runs and was named Player of the Match, said, “I was playing with a positive mindset. The new ball was swinging, and spinners were getting turn on this pitch. When I was around 70 runs, the pull shot I played was my favorite one of the innings.”

Gill also mentioned the tactical discussions with captain Rohit Sharma, saying, “As vice-captain, Rohit bhai asked me to keep giving him inputs about what was happening in the game.”

Axar Patel: Expected a Middle-Order Promotion

Axar Patel, who contributed 52 crucial runs, revealed that he was prepared for his middle-order batting role. He said, “I knew that if wickets fell, the team would go for a left-right combination, and I might get promoted. I was ready for it.”

Commenting on the bowling conditions, Axar noted, “We tried spin in the powerplay, but at that point, the ball was coming onto the bat nicely. The pitch had good turn for spinners. Adil Rashid bowled brilliantly, varying his speed to extract turn. Had we done the same, we could have got even more purchase from the wicket.”

Rohit Sharma: Happy with the Team’s Performance

Indian captain Rohit Sharma praised his team’s execution, saying, “I am very happy with the team’s performance. We all knew we were playing ODIs after a long time, but the team played exactly as I had envisioned.”

Speaking about England’s batting, Rohit remarked, “They started well, but the way we made a comeback was outstanding. Ravindra Jadeja adapted to the conditions brilliantly while bowling.”

On the batting strategy, he said, “We wanted a left-handed batsman in the middle order while chasing. We know Axar is a capable batter, and he has proved it several times. Both Gill and Axar played outstandingly well.”

Jos Buttler: Disappointed with the Loss

England captain Jos Buttler expressed his frustration after the defeat, stating, “I am disappointed that we couldn’t win. We got off to a great start in the powerplay but lost wickets consistently.”

Reflecting on their total, he added, “Seeing how the pitch was behaving in the second innings, I feel if we had scored 40-50 more runs, it would have put more pressure on them. We took early wickets, but Shreyas Iyer’s counter-attacking approach changed the game.”

With India leading the series 1-0, the teams will now shift their focus to the second ODI, where England will aim to bounce back while India looks to seal the series.