India opener Shubman Gill has spoken about his spectacular opening partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal that set the tone for India’s win over Sri Lanka in the first T20I of the three-match series at Pallekele.
Gill and Jaiswal were in top form on Saturday (July 27) evening as they scored 74 runs in the powerplay. Both batsmen looked in sublime form and did not mince any words.
Shubman Gill hit 34 off just 16 balls, which included 6 fours and 1 six, while Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 40 off 21 balls, hitting 5 fours and 2 sixes during his innings. The two set a perfect platform for the middle-order batsmen to set a big target for the home team.
Watch: Shubman Gill recreates hilarious moment when Rohit Sharma messes with water bottle and leaves fans in splits
Shubman Gill talks about his collaboration on the show’s opening with Yashasvi Jaiswal
After the match, Gill was asked if India panicked when Pathum Nissanka was on strong, Gill replied that India only needed one wicket to get into the game, and that turned out to be correct in the end.
“Not really (I panicked). We talked about having good communication and we knew we only needed one wicket (when SL were 140/1),” Gill replied.
Asked about batting with Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top, Gill revealed that his plans are always clear and simple to assess the pitch and play accordingly.
“He (Yashasvi Jaiswal) is fantastic to bat with and we complement each other. Our style is different, our plan is simple – assess the conditions and then face the bowlers. When you are opening the innings, see how the pitch behaves and play accordingly,” Gill said after the match.
Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal are seen as the replacements for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for India in the T20I format. Both are very talented batsmen and have shown their class in their short international careers so far. Shubman Gill is India’s vice-captain for this tour as the selectors see him as a future captaincy option.
India beat Sri Lanka by 43 runs to take 1-0 lead
As for the match, India scored a comfortable win over hosts Sri Lanka. At one stage, Sri Lanka was in a good position when they were 140-1 in 14 overs and needed 74 runs in 36 balls with two batsmen in batting position.
But Pathum Nissanka’s wicket on the first ball of the 15th over proved to be the turning point of the match. Nissanka was bowled by left-arm spinner Axar Patel for a fine score of 79 off 48 balls. He played some eye-catching shots during his knock and smashed 7 fours and 4 sixes.
Kusal Perera, who looked good during his stay at the crease, was also dismissed by Axar Patel in the same over. Wickets kept falling as Sri Lanka’s middle and lower order failed to put any meaningful score on the board. SL captain Charith Asalanka failed with the bat on his captaincy debut as he was dismissed for a duck on the second ball.
Sri Lanka lost their last 9 wickets for just 30 runs and gave India a 1-0 lead in the series. The next T20I will be played at the same ground on July 28 (Sunday).
