Team India enjoyed a solid outing with the bat in the third and final ODI of the series against England, putting 356 on the board after being asked to bat first in Ahmedabad. In reply, England did make an aggressive start but lost Ben Duckett just as he started to look dangerous, as Arshdeep Singh picked the opening wicket to dismiss the left-hander for 34 off 22 deliveries.
Arshdeep executed his plan to perfection against Duckett, who was visibly struggling with a groin niggle; after conceding a few boundaries in the previous over, Arshdeep stuck to his slow-ball strategy, trusting his variations rather than opting for conventional pace.
He noticed Duckett’s cautious approach against the slower ball and decided to test his patience once more. Delivering a well-disguised knuckle ball, Arshdeep forced the England batter into a rash decision. Duckett, unable to resist the temptation, swung hard in an attempt to clear the field, but his restricted foot movement worked against him.
With minimal balance and no real control, his shot was mistimed and Indian captain Rohit Sharma, stationed at mid-off, positioned himself perfectly under the ball. He made no mistake, completing a safe catch as Duckett trudged back.
Rohit pointed towards his head right after picking the catch, seemingly insinuating that Arshdeep’s plan worked just as he wanted to.
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Earlier, Shubman Gill continued his scintillating form with a masterful 112, propelling India to a mammoth 356 in the final ODI. The young opener anchored the innings with a crucial 116-run stand alongside Virat Kohli, who returned to run-scoring with a composed 52.
India’s dominance was further bolstered by Shreyas Iyer’s attacking 78 off 64 balls, keeping the momentum intact despite wickets falling at regular intervals. England’s bowlers toiled under the onslaught, struggling to contain the run flow.
The lone bright spot for the visitors was Adil Rashid, who delivered a brilliant spell of 4/64, breaking key partnerships at crucial junctures.
