Gill: India's fielding and death bowling needs to improve
India lost the third ODI in New Chandigarh despite putting up 351 • AFP/Getty Images
Captain Shubman Gill said India still have areas to fine-tune in ODIs despite a series win against West Indies. He pointed in particular to their fielding and death bowling as concerns ahead of next year's World Cup.
"I feel sometimes we are not really clear whether we are attacking or we are defending, especially when we are bowling in the death overs," Gill said at the presentation "One-day[ers] is such a game, if the opposition is five or six down, you are never really sure what fields to take, whether we are going for the death too early or we are still, you know, bowling kind of like middle overs. I think these are some areas which definitely we need to be better at."
India were without their first-choice bowling attack for much of the series, with Jasprit Bumrah away playing the Asian Games and Hardik Pandya injured. Coach Gautam Gambhir made a mention of this and selection of the Xis seemed to indicate the team's desire to find options as much as win matches.
Mohammed Siraj played only one of the three matches and even in that one he didn't bowl in the death at all. In New Chandigarh, debutant Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar and even offspinner Naman Dhir bowled in the last 10 overs. In Guwahati, debutant Auqib Nabi helped squeeze West Indies in the back end (relatively speaking, in a game where 405 played 406). Bowlers from both sides took a beating in conditions that were rarely in their favour but the experience gained could prove vital next October.
On Saturday, India chose to bat first, went down to 4 for 2 but still made 351. "Decently pleased [with the progress]," Gill said as he assessed the team's performance over the course of the three matches. "But I think there are still some areas [of improvement] - I think our fielding could be much better. Overall in the series, I think we dropped six or seven catches, which is not a good sign leading up to the World Cup. You want your fielding to be top-notch."
Gill was "happy" with the total he had on the board but admitted that West Indies were able to wrest back control, with India being penalised for a slow over rate following the 46th over. They had to bowl the final few deliveries with just four fielders on the fence and not the usual five.
"I think the game was in control," Gill said. "But you know, being behind four overs with this and then in the last, I think they took the game away from us. Had we, you know, not been short on the overs, I think the game might have gone to the last over."
Gill was named Player of the Series for his 334 runs, including an unbeaten double-century in a successful chase of 406, but admitted he was disappointed to have missed out with the bat on Saturday. He was dismissed early after edging a Jayden Seales delivery to Shai Hope, who dived full stretch to his left to take a one-handed catch.
"I mean, you're always disappointed whenever you get out early, but I think today I don't think there could have been much that I would have done on that ball," he said.
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