India claimed the ongoing 3-match ODI series against Afghanistan in style, with one more match to go. Like the first match, the second was a one-sided affair. Captain Shubman Gill was named the Player of the Match for his brilliant 154-run knock.
The match at the Ekana Cricket Stadium started at 1.30 PM when the sun was at full flame over Lucknow. The hot and humid conditions made it difficult for the players of both sides to play for 50 overs. Shubman Gill revealed that because of the tough conditions, he was not feeling comfortable while batting.
Shubman Gill played a monumental knock in Lucknow
Gill faced a total of 110 balls to claim the 154-run knock on an individual basis. When Shubman Gill walked onto the ground to replace Yashasvi Jaiswal, the temperature was around 40 degree celcisus, with very little breeze on the ground.
At the presentation ceremony, he mentioned that during batting, he felt cramps in different parts of his body, which made batting more challenging for him. However, he carried and surpassed the 150-run mark as well, which helped the team to claim another emphatic win under his leadership.
A little sore, got a lot of cramps: Shubman Gill
“A little sore, got a lot of cramps when I went out, but it was really hot and batted for almost 40-45 overs, so the body was getting a lot of cramps in different areas of the body, but it’s much better now,” Shubman Gill said after the match.
The match had multiple alarming moments as multiple players had to evacuate from the field for different reasons. In the first innings, when Afghanistan was bowling, their debutant Darwish Rasooli had to be stretchered off the field with cramps.
In the second innings, when India was fielding, Ishan Kishan injured his shoulder while attempting a catch. He, too, left the field with the support of medical staff.
The third match will be at Chepauk
Ahead of the next match, the 3rd of the ongoing three-match ODI series, the Indian team management will want to see all of their key players fit and fine, as there are multiple other injury reasons that have affected the team selection.
As India has claimed to win in two consecutive matches, the third and final encounter against Afghanistan has turned into a dead rubber after June 17 night. The remaining match is scheduled to be held on June 20 at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai at 1,30 PM.
As of now, the temperature in Chennai is much lower than Lucknow’s. While Lucknow is still experiencing a high day temperature of around 40 degrees Celsius, Chennai’s temperature is around 35 degrees Celsius with clouds in the sky.
For the final match, the home team is expected to rest some of their key players to offer the other players, who were on the bench for the last couple of matches, some game time ahead of the high-profile encounters, which will be under overseas conditions.
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Author: Staff Cricket Addictor
