Ahead of the high-octane ICC Champions Trophy clash against Pakistan, Indian vice-captain Shubman Gill said that pacer Harshit Rana has done a fine job in the absence of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who is out of the competition due to back injury. The game is a high-stakes battle for both teams, as while Pakistan will try to keep their title defence alive, India will aim to almost confirm its berth in the semis. The game is also being touted as an opportunity for India to avenge the loss of the 2017 Champions Trophy Final when Virat Kohli’s men were deprived of putting their hands on the ICC trophy. Unlike the 50-over and T20 World Cups, Pakistan holds a 3-2 advantage over India in the Champions Trophy. The most notable encounter remains the 180-run triumph in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, which makes Sunday’s game even more exciting for fans from both sides of the border.
In the campaign opener against Bangladesh, Rana managed to take three wickets for 31 runs in 7.3 overs. In four ODIs so far, he has taken nine scalps at an average of 19.66, with the best figures of 3/31 and an economy rate of 6.17.
Speaking ahead of the match in the pre-match presser, Gill said, “Any player who has been a part of the team for so long and is doing so well for the team, there is a definitely a setback that he (Bumrah) is not a part of the team and we were disappointed as a team. But you have to choose your best options and I think we did our best with the options available. Harshit came in his place and he is doing a good job.”
Gill also said that that the fast starts provided by skipper Rohit Sharma does not affect him at all as a player and it is a delight watching him from the other end.
“I think Rohit has got his own style and if at all it helps me to get in my own groove and how I like to go about things and yeah it is a delight to watch him from the non-striker end and we have had some really good partnerships over the past couple of years and it is a delight to bat with him all the time,” he said.
Gill also said that his century against Bangladesh in the campaign opener is one of his most satisfying innings, given he played it a tournament where the margin of error is very less due to less number of matches.
“If there is a single bad match – then there is a lot of pressure on you, then all the matches become do and die, must-win games. In the middle overs – for about 8 to 10 overs that we faced some pressure as a batting group, but it is very important that in such a phase you save your wickets, and not take more risks because the target was not that high. If we were chasing 270-280, we would have played a little differently. Even if the wickets had fallen, we would have had to take chances. But because the target was not that high on that wicket. The 8-10 overs in the middle, we tried to rotate the strike as much as possible and take less risk,” he said.
“In such situations, when a 40-50 run partnership is made, then there is more pressure on the bowling team. Because they have to take wickets. Then they try harder and boundaries come. So that was our plan,” he added.
Speaking about the hype related to Indian Pakistan clash being over due to Pakistan’s recent poor form, Gill, said, “I do not believe that over-hype or under-hype is a thing. India-Pakistan has a long history. It is an exciting contest when both these teams play. Everyone enjoys watching it. If so many people are happy to watch the match, then who are we to say that it is underhyped or overhyped? We go there to play cricket. Our effort is to play for the team I am playing for, to represent my country, and to win with all my heart.”
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