Media365
NEW DELHI: Concerns regarding Virat Kohli‘s fitness have been allayed by India vice captain Shubman Gill, who stated that the batting mainstay is healthy and should be available for Sunday’s second One-Day International match against England.
As the squad entered the final dress rehearsal for the ICC Champions Trophy, which began in Pakistan and Dubai on February 19, Kohli, 36, was forced to miss the ODI series opener in Nagpur because of swelling in his right knee.
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Gill, who scored a clinical 87 in India’s four-wicket victory against England in Nagpur, told Disney-Hotstar: “It’s nothing serious. He (Kohli) was fine during yesterday’s (Wednesday) practice, but he woke up with some swelling in his knee this morning (Thursday). He’ll definitely be back for the second ODI.”
Even if he had been in his 60s, the top-order batsman would have played the shot that finally got him, he said, adding that he did not get carried away as he was getting close to his century.
Jos Buttler took a diving catch at mid-on off Saqib Mahmood‘s bowling as Gill, trying to pace the innings, mis-timed a shot to leave India at 235/6.
“No, I wasn’t thinking about my century. I was focused on the field placements and played my shots accordingly. I wanted to dominate the bowler, and I would have played the same shot even if I was in my 60s,” Gill said.
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Gill, who often starts the innings in ODIs, claimed he had no trouble starting at number three in the series against England.
“I play at No. 3 in Tests, so it wasn’t a big adjustment. It’s always a challenge at that position because you have to adapt to the game situation. If the team loses quick wickets, you need to play sensibly. If the team starts well, you need to carry the momentum. My approach was simple – play according to the situation.”
Gill claimed that the sweep and reverse sweep strokes are not a team tactic used by young Indian players against spinners.
“It’s an individual choice, not a team strategy. Every batsman has a plan to target specific areas. Many players are practicing sweeps and reverse sweeps in the nets to have more options while batting.”
According to Gill, who shared a third-wicket partnership of 94 runs with Shreyas Iyer (59), scoring runs became simple after they had assessed the field.
“We lost two early wickets, but the plan was to play according to the field and not hold back. After a few overs, the line and lengths became predictable, which helped us score faster.”
