‘When you drop a couple of chances…’: Shubman Gill on how poor fielding resulted in Adelaide defeat

Shubman Gill reveals reason behind India's loss against Australia in 2nd ODI. (Photo: IANS)

Australia's disciplined all-around performance in Adelaide on Thursday sealed the ODI series, and India captain Shubman Gill acknowledged that his team suffered greatly from dropped catches and a barely sufficient score.

After losing by 7 wickets in the first match at Perth, India lost the second ODI by 2 wickets. At least three chances were lost by the Indian fielders in Adelaide, including Matthew Short, who scored a brilliant 74 off 78 balls.

"We had just enough runs on the board. Never easy when you drop a couple of chances to be able to defend that kind of a total," Gill said during the post-match presentation ceremony.

The young skipper didn’t find anything tricky about the Adelaide pitch either.

"In the first game, the toss was more crucial because of the rain, but in this one both teams played for almost 50 overs. The wicket did a little early on, but it settled nicely after 15–20 overs," Gill said.

The 26-year-old lauded senior batter Rohit Sharma for his gritty innings of 73.

"Never easy, coming back and playing after a long time. The initial phase was challenging, but very pleased with how he batted. He fought out well; I would say he missed out on a really big knock,” the India skipper said.

Mitchell Marsh's Australia showed depth in both areas, and the home captain praised his bowling attack and the poise of his younger batsmen.

"Hazlewood was unbelievable. Our bowling unit kept trying to pick wickets. It was awesome batting from the youngsters — the future is bright for Australian cricket. We'll certainly enjoy the series win, won't celebrate too much tonight. India are a fantastic side, great experience," Marsh said.

Leg-spinner Adam Zampa, who won Player of the Match for taking four wickets, once again showed his mettle in the middle overs.

"Nice to beat India. It's always been a good battle against them, particularly in one-day cricket. Two teams that have adapted to the conditions really well. They're the best team in the world,” Zampa said.

He attributed the platform's setup to Australia's pacers saying, “Those guys have been owning the power play for a long time… it makes my job easier through the middle."

"So, I have been very grateful and lucky. And then you've got the guys coming in, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, doing their thing through the middle. It makes my job a lot easier through the middle. The beauty of Mitch (Marsh) is that he's chilled, relaxed, never too emotional. We run our own show out there with the ball," he said.