Rain-drenched matches are irritating to both players and the paying public, which is why having closed-roof cricket stadiums is not a bad option, believes young Indian opener Shubman Gill.
In a six-match white-ball series in New Zealand, two matches (1st T20I in Wellington and Sunday’s ODI) were abandoned and one match (Napier T20I) was decided by the Duckworth-Lewis method. Gill, who scored 50 in the first game and had good contact on his unbeaten 45 here, said it gets frustrating at times.
The 2⃣th #NZvIND ODI is called off due to continued rain 🌧️
We’ll see you in Christchurch for the third and final ODI of the series.
Scorecard 👉 https://t.co/frOtF7L9O4 #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/QODRMWTQEN
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 27, 2022
“This is a decision (playing in covered stadiums) to be made by the boards. As a player and as fans it is irritating to go in and out and see so many matches affected by rain. But I don’t know how to face it because it’s a big decision.
“Obviously a closed (retractable) roof (stadiums) would be good,” the youngster told media outlets after the second ODI was abandoned with just 12.5 overs bowled.
The problem with rain-affected matches is innings scheduling, as 50 overs on the day were reduced to 29 overs after a four-hour delay.
“It was very frustrating. You don’t know how many overs, so you can’t plan your innings,’ said Gill, who had hit a purple patch in 50-over cricket.
You will not see more than 400 scores in every second match
While there are calls to change the pattern of India’s ODI batting, the Punjab youngster doesn’t feel 400 or 450 runs per innings will be an everyday occurrence for some time to come.
“The totals like 400 to 450 will happen in one or two games a year. More or less, they’ll be targets with ranges over 300, which is more likely. It also depends on the circumstances in which you are batting – hit first or chase. But more than 400 scores in every match is not an attainable goal,” he said.
World Cup is too far ahead
Gill is a strong contender for a place in the squad of 15 for next year’s ODI World Cup, but said he is not looking that far ahead.
“I don’t look that far ahead and my goal is to make the most of the opportunities I get. That’s what I try to do and take most of the opportunities I get by scoring big runs for the team,” he said.
Concentrate on the ball rather than the outside noise
It is a unanimous opinion that in the post Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma era, it will be Gill who would be the standard bearer of Indian batting. But just as criticism does not touch him, rich praise cannot lose sight of him either.
“The opinion of others, good or bad, never affects my game as such when I’m batting in the middle. Once you’re hitting, the focus isn’t on what people say, but on the throw and how you score on it,” said the eloquent young man.