Ahmedabad, Feb 12 (IANS) Opener Shubman Gill’s majestic 112, along with solid half-centuries by Shreyas Iyer (78) and Virat Kohli (52), propelled India to a massive 356 in the third and final ODI against England. This commanding total proved too much for the visitors, who were bowled out for 214, handing India a comprehensive 142-run victory and a 3-0 series clean sweep.

Ahmedabad, Feb 12 (IANS) Opener Shubman Gill’s majestic 112, along with solid half-centuries by Shreyas Iyer (78) and Virat Kohli (52), propelled India to a massive 356 in the third and final ODI against England. This commanding total proved too much for the visitors, who were bowled out for 214, handing India a comprehensive 142-run victory and a 3-0 series clean sweep.

Gill has been firing on all cylinders in the ongoing series and was named the player of the series for scoring 259 across the three innings at an average of 86.33.

England captain Jos Buttler won his third consecutive toss and opted to field first, However, it was a decision that quickly backfired as India’s top order, barring Rohit Sharma fired on all cylinders.

Rohit was dismissed for just 1 through a beautiful delivery by Mark Wood which found his outside edge, and Phil Salt pouched it. Despite the early setback, Gill and Kohli steadied the ship.

The pair put on a 116-run partnership, with both batters taking their time early on, rotating the strike and building a solid foundation. Kohli, who was involved in a tense run-out scare in the seventh over, survived and soon found his rhythm. He struck Saqib Mahmood for back-to-back boundaries and, by the end of the powerplay, India had reached 52/1. The partnership continued to flourish as both batters started targeting England's bowlers. Joe Root was taken for five boundaries in his first two overs, while Liam Livingstone also felt the pressure as both Gill and Kohli dispatched him for sixes.

Kohli reached his half-century off 50 balls, while Gill followed with his own in 51 deliveries. Just when it seemed they were set for big scores, Kohli fell to Adil Rashid, nicking one to the keeper after an impressive knock of 52.

Shreyas Iyer joined Gill and launched an aggressive counterattack. The pair added 104 runs for the third wicket. Gill, meanwhile, brought up his century in 95 balls, marking his first ODI century since September 2023. His innings was cut short when he tried to play a sweep shot off Rashid, only for the delivery to hit the stumps, ending his brilliant knock at 112.

Despite a few quick wickets, including Iyer falling to Rashid for 78, India’s lower order continued to pile on runs. KL Rahul (40), Axar Patel (13), and Washington Sundar (14) contributed with quick cameos. Hardik Pandya came up with some late fireworks, smashing Rashid for back-to-back sixes before being dismissed. India eventually posted 356 all out in their allotted 50 overs.

England’s chase got off to a blazing start with openers Ben Duckett (34) and Phil Salt (23) racing to a rapid 50-plus partnership. However, the fall of Duckett to Arshdeep Singh, followed by a flurry of wickets, put the brakes on England’s progress. Tom Banton (38) and Joe Root (24) tried to rebuild, but they were soon dismissed by the Indian spinners.

Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Harshit Rana, and Arshdeep Singh, all took two wickets each. Despite a valiant 38 from Gus Atkinson, who struck six boundaries and one six at a strike rate of 200, the target was too steep. England’s lower order crumbled, and India wrapped up the innings for 214, securing a 142-run victory in just 34.1 overs.

With this win, India completed a dominant 3-0 series sweep, bolstered by a brilliant batting display and disciplined bowling, while England’s inconsistent batting remained a cause for concern ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Brief scores:

India 356 all out in 50 overs (Shubman Gill 112, Shreyas Iyer 78, Virat Kohli 52, K.L Rahul 40; Adil Rashid 4-64, Mark Wood 2-45) beat England 214 all out in 34.2 overs (Ben Duckett 34, Tom Baton 38, Gus Atkinson 38; Axar Patel 2-22, Arshdeep Singh 2-33, Harshit Rana 2-31, Hardik Pandya 2-38) by 142 runs.

--IANS

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