Very satisfying innings for me – Shubman Gill on sparkling ton against West Indies

India chased down a target of 296 with 50 balls to spare, courtesy of Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 139 and Shubman Gill’s well-orchestrated 110. The captain played a flurry of exquisite shots as India ran away with the game before the West Indies could apply the brakes during the first ODI in Thiruvananthapuram.

Talking at the post-match presentation, Gill opened up on the win while reflecting on his stellar knock. Looking back at his own innings, Gill said, “Honestly, when I got out, I thought I should have finished the game. Would have been nice to be there in the end. But yes, very satisfying innings for me.”

He also lauded Kuldeep Yadav for his exceptional bowling performance, saying, “Someone like him, especially in the middle overs, if he's bowling well, he's a wicket-taker for us and he's proved over again and again, and today as well. We were a bit on the back foot, with their opening partnership and how their top order was batting, but he got us back in the game, got us crucial wickets in the game, and at one point it looked like maybe they'll get 340-350, but from there to restrict them to 300 was a tremendous effort from us.”

Gill was involved in a fabulous 151-run stand for the second wicket, a partnership that knocked the wind out of the Windies' sails. Sharing his thoughts on Kohli's spectacular 139-run knock, Gill stated, "He's batting superbly, and I think he's enjoying the game a lot more, playing with freedom and enjoying the game. And I think those are the effects of his batting. I mean, he always had the game, he always had the ability to clear the boundary at will, and I think he's doing that right now.”

He further added, “Yeah, I mean, someone like him who's won so many matches for the country, who's done it over and over again, you just let him be, and you just want him to play however he feels like on the day, because when he plays well, he can win matches for you.”

He concluded by talking about India’s batting heavy approach, stating, “Yes, ideally yes. We would want an eighth batting option, someone who can contribute at least 25-30 runs. We have seen many times we had been in good positions at 250 for 5, and then we weren't able to get scores that we wanted. So number eight becomes a crucial position for us. But we are open to trying different combinations and seeing what works for us.”