Australia won the ODI series with a disciplined all-around effort in Adelaide on Wednesday, and India skipper Shubman Gill acknowledged that his team suffered greatly as a result of missed catches and a barely acceptable score.
After losing the first ODI at Perth by seven wickets, India lost the second game by two wickets. The Indian fielders were not at their best in Adelaide, dropping at least three opportunities, including one from Matthew Short, who scored a brilliant 74 off 78 balls.
“We had just enough runs on the board. Never easy when you drop a couple of chances to be able to defend that kind of a total,” Gill said during the post-match presentation ceremony.
There were no demons in the Adelaide pitch, according to the young captain.
“In the first game, the toss was more crucial because of the rain, but in this one both teams played for almost 50 overs. The wicket did a little early on, but it settled nicely after 15-20 overs,” Gill said.
The 26-year-old commended senior batsman Rohit Sharma for his valiant 73-run innings.
“Never easy, coming back and playing after a long time. The initial phase was challenging, but very pleased with how he batted. He fought out well; I would say he missed out on a really big knock,” the India skipper said.
Under Mitchell Marsh’s captaincy, Australia showed depth in both areas, and the home captain praised his bowling attack and the poise of his younger batsmen.
“Hazlewood was unbelievable. Our bowling unit kept trying to pick wickets. It was awesome batting from the youngsters – the future is bright for Australian cricket. We’ll certainly enjoy the series win, won’t celebrate too much tonight. India are a fantastic side, great experience,” Marsh said.
Leg-spinner Adam Zampa, who took four wickets and was named Player of the Match, was once again instrumental in the middle overs.
“Nice to beat India. It’s always been a good battle against them, particularly in one-day cricket. Two teams that have adapted to the conditions really well. They’re the best team in the world,” Zampa said.
He attributed the platform’s setup to Australia’s pacers: “Those guys have been owning the power play for a long time… it makes my job easier through the middle.”
“So, I have been very grateful and lucky. And then you’ve got the guys coming in, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, doing their thing through the middle. It makes my job a lot easier through the middle. The beauty of Mitch (Marsh) is that he’s chilled, relaxed, never too emotional. We run our own show out there with the ball,” he said.
