India cemented their white-ball supremacy with a resounding 3-0 series win against England, capped by a 142-run victory in Ahmedabad. Standout performances included:
- Rohit Sharma’s Redemption: The skipper silenced critics with a match-winning 119 in Cuttack, his 32nd ODI century. His viral “brain-tap” celebration after Arshdeep Singh’s dismissal of Ben Duckett symbolized India’s tactical dominance.
- Shubman Gill’s Milestone: Gill’s century in the third ODI made him the first Indian to join Babar Azam and David Warner in an elite club of batters with seven ODI tons before turning 25.
Controversies and Criticisms
- Kevin Pietersen lambasted England’s “school cricket” mindset, while Sunil Gavaskar slammed Tom Banton’s “ridiculous” DRS review.
- Streaming platform Hotstar faced backlash for technical glitches during the Ahmedabad ODI, with fans joking it “hasn’t moved on from India’s 2023 World Cup final loss”.
Looking Ahead: India’s focus shifts to the Champions Trophy, where Zaheer Khan warned that “excessive flexibility” in the batting order could backfire.