Adelaide, Oct 23: India captain Shubman Gill admitted that dropped catches and a total which was just adequate cost his side dearly as Australia clinched the ODI series with a disciplined all-round performance here on Wednesday.
India lost the second ODI by two wickets after a seven-wicket defeat in the first match at Perth. Here, the Indian fielders were not at their sharpest, spilling at least three chances, including Matthew Short, who made a fine 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.
The young skipper did not find any demons in the pitch either.“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 praised senior batter Rohit Sharma for his fighting knock of 73.
“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.
Australia, led by Mitchell Marsh, displayed depth in both departments, and the home skipper hailed his bowling attack and the composure of the younger batters.
“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 was named Player of the Match for his four-wicket haul, once again proved decisive 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 credited Australia’s pacers for setting up the platform: “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,” he said. (PTI)
