India v N Zealand: Shubman Gill hits double century as hosts win first ODI

Shubman Gill hit a fine double century as India beat New Zealand by 12 runs in a thriller in Hyderabad.

Opener Gill smashed 19 fours and nine sixes in his innings of 208 from 149 balls, reaching his 200 with three successive sixes off Lockie Ferguson.

New Zealand looked out of the contest when they slipped to 131-6, but Michael Bracewell clubbed 140 off 78 balls.

Just as it looked like the tourists might pull off an unlikely win, Mohammed Siraj took two quick wickets.

Siraj finished with 4-46, including the wicket of Mitchell Santner, who shared 162 for the seventh wicket with Bracewell.

At the age of 23 years and 132 days, Gill becomes the youngest man to hit a double ton in a one-day international.

He is the eighth men’s batter to achieve the feat and the fifth Indian.

Captain Rohit Sharma, who has hit three ODI double hundreds in his career – including the record 264 – was the second-highest scorer with just 34.

New Zealand could have dismissed Gill for 45 when he danced down the track to Bracewell and edged through to Tom Latham, but the wicketkeeper put down the catch and was also unable to take the stumping chance with Gill out of his crease.

After reaching his half century off 52 balls, Gill accelerated through his innings, needing 35 more deliveries to reach his ton and 35 more to move to 150.

He then launched a brutal attack on the New Zealand bowlers in the final overs to move from 151 to 200 in just 23 deliveries, smashing 39 runs off his final 12 balls.

He hit Ferguson for three consecutive sixes, pulling one wide delivery over fine leg before two booming drives over long-off, to reach 200.

Gill also becomes the joint-second-fastest men’s player to reach 1,000 ODI runs in just 19 appearances.

He was eventually dismissed in the final over thanks to a fine catch by Glenn Phillips at deep mid-wicket off the bowling of Henry Shipley, who ended with figures of 2-74 from nine overs.

Santner, who took the prize wicket of Virat Kohli for just eight, was the only New Zealand bowler to go for less than six an over, taking 1-56.

BBC