The crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad witnessed a complete dismantling of the England cricket team. India crushed England by a massive 142 runs, completing a clean sweep of the 3-match ODI series. It was a perfect send-off for the Indian team before they head to the Champions Trophy. Batting first, India posted a formidable total of 356, thanks to a magnificent century by Shubman Gill. Gill, playing on his home ground in the IPL. He anchored the innings beautifully, especially after the early loss of Rohit Sharma. He was smart, always looking for runs without letting the dot balls pile up. Gill was the star, and partnerships with both Virat Kohli (who scored a gritty fifty) and Shreyas Iyer (who blasted 78 off just 64 balls) set the stage for a big finish. Late cameos from KL Rahul (40 off 29) and Hardik Pandya (17 off 9) added the final flourish.
England's chase of 357 never really got going. They started with some quick runs, with Ben Duckett and Phil Salt adding 50 in just 5 overs. But Arshdeep Singh, playing his first match of the series, cleverly used slower deliveries to dismiss both openers. After that, it was a procession of wickets. Axar Patel, filling in for Ravindra Jadeja, kept things tight, and the rest of the Indian bowlers chipped in, ensuring every single one of them got a wicket. England was bundled out for a paltry 214 in just 34.2 overs.
Team Performance Breakdown:
India Batting: Shubman Gill's century was the highlight, supported by strong contributions from Kohli, Iyer, Rahul, and Pandya. The team showed depth and adaptability.
India Bowling and Fielding: A complete team effort. Every bowler took a wicket, with Arshdeep's early breakthroughs and Axar's control being particularly effective. The fielding was sharp, backing up the bowlers perfectly.
Special Mention: Shubhman Gill(India): For his brilliant century Arshdeep Singh (India): Used his slower ball variations effectively. Axar Patel (India): For maintaining the pressure in the middle overs. Harshit Rana(India): Even though he was expensive with the new ball, but picked crucial wickets in the middle overs.
The stadium, fully equipped to handle a large crowd, provided a fantastic atmosphere. The facilities were top-notch, allowing fans to enjoy the match comfortably.
England, on the other hand, had a tour to forget. Losing 7 out of 8 white-ball matches is a serious concern heading into the Champions Trophy. Their batsmen struggled to play long innings, a point hammered home by commentators Ravi Shastri and Kevin Pietersen, who criticized the team's lack of preparation and focus. Pietersen was particularly critical of the team's priorities, questioning why some players were focused on golf rather than net practice.
India heads to the Champions Trophy with confidence as the batting lineup looks settled, and the bowling attack is firing on all aspect. England, meanwhile, has serious questions to answer their batting approach needs a complete overhaul.
