TimesofIndia.com in Lucknow: It is no secret that Team India's head coach Gautam Gambhir is a strong believer in the left-right batting combination.
The foundation of India's T20I template has been built around that principle. With Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma in the top six, India have multiple southpaws to disrupt bowling plans. In contrast, the ODI setup has largely been dominated by right-handers. Even during the Champions Trophy, the team management was forced to promote Axar Patel to No. 5 to break that monotony.
Multiple discussions have occurred about injecting some left-handers into the mix but the batting unit has maintained a settled look since the 2023 ODI World Cup. There were some movements based on the game situation but right-handers have been the flavour. After the high of the Champions Trophy, India lost ODI series against Australia and South Africa and Virat Kohli's injury opened up an opportunity to shake things up a bit.
The thinktank wasted no time: Ishan Kishan walked in at No. 3 in the rain-curtailed ODI in Dharamsala and Yashasvi Jaiswal opened with Rohit Sharma, forcing Gill to come in at one drop, for the second contest in Lucknow.
While the left-right combination at the top didn't work as Jaiswal was dismissed cheaply, Gill and Kishan stitched together a 224-run stand for the third wicket. The partnership had everything: elegant strokeplay, towering sixes, relentless running between the wickets and complete domination of the opposition attack. Across 140 deliveries, the pair offered a compelling glimpse into what India's batting blueprint for the 2027 ODI World Cup could look like.
The heat was relentless and played a significant role in shaping India's innings. Temperatures remained above 40 degrees Celsius throughout, with players visibly struggling to cope. Although three official drinks breaks were scheduled, batters repeatedly called for fluids between overs and even wore ice packs around their necks. The duo battled cramps, and the Indian captain appeared completely drained by the time his innings ended.
Despite the unforgiving conditions, they gave the 13,000 spectators at the Ekana Stadium plenty to cheer about. Those who braved the extreme heat were treated to a batting exhibition of the highest quality.
After his Player of the Match-winning effort in the first ODI, Gill once again stamped his authority with a magnificent 154 off 110 ******* , studded with 22 fours and two sixes. It was also his maiden ODI century as India's captain.
Gill was at his dominant best. After Jaiswal's early dismissal, he walked in and picked up exactly where he had left off in Dharamsala. His cover drives were regal, while his flicks, cuts and pulls showcased the full range of his strokeplay.
India's highest stands in ODIs for third wicket:
237* runs - Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar in 1999
233* runs - Virat Kohli and KL Rahul in 2023
224 runs - Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli in 200
The foundation of India's T20I template has been built around that principle. With Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma in the top six, India have multiple southpaws to disrupt bowling plans. In contrast, the ODI setup has largely been dominated by right-handers. Even during the Champions Trophy, the team management was forced to promote Axar Patel to No. 5 to break that monotony.
Multiple discussions have occurred about injecting some left-handers into the mix but the batting unit has maintained a settled look since the 2023 ODI World Cup. There were some movements based on the game situation but right-handers have been the flavour. After the high of the Champions Trophy, India lost ODI series against Australia and South Africa and Virat Kohli's injury opened up an opportunity to shake things up a bit.
The thinktank wasted no time: Ishan Kishan walked in at No. 3 in the rain-curtailed ODI in Dharamsala and Yashasvi Jaiswal opened with Rohit Sharma, forcing Gill to come in at one drop, for the second contest in Lucknow.
While the left-right combination at the top didn't work as Jaiswal was dismissed cheaply, Gill and Kishan stitched together a 224-run stand for the third wicket. The partnership had everything: elegant strokeplay, towering sixes, relentless running between the wickets and complete domination of the opposition attack. Across 140 deliveries, the pair offered a compelling glimpse into what India's batting blueprint for the 2027 ODI World Cup could look like.
The heat was relentless and played a significant role in shaping India's innings. Temperatures remained above 40 degrees Celsius throughout, with players visibly struggling to cope. Although three official drinks breaks were scheduled, batters repeatedly called for fluids between overs and even wore ice packs around their necks. The duo battled cramps, and the Indian captain appeared completely drained by the time his innings ended.
Despite the unforgiving conditions, they gave the 13,000 spectators at the Ekana Stadium plenty to cheer about. Those who braved the extreme heat were treated to a batting exhibition of the highest quality.
After his Player of the Match-winning effort in the first ODI, Gill once again stamped his authority with a magnificent 154 off 110 ******* , studded with 22 fours and two sixes. It was also his maiden ODI century as India's captain.
Gill was at his dominant best. After Jaiswal's early dismissal, he walked in and picked up exactly where he had left off in Dharamsala. His cover drives were regal, while his flicks, cuts and pulls showcased the full range of his strokeplay.
India's highest stands in ODIs for third wicket:
237* runs - Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar in 1999
233* runs - Virat Kohli and KL Rahul in 2023
224 runs - Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli in 200
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