What magnitude of an event or complexity of a scenario would lead you to describe your slowest ODI century as the "most gratifying"? Shubman Gill, the vice-captain of India, achieved a century off 125 deliveries against Bangladesh during a Champions Trophy Group A match in Dubai. Several factors contribute to Gill's claim. Firstly, it marked his inaugural century in an ICC tournament. Secondly, he remained not out, guiding India to victory. Most importantly, the chase was far from straightforward. Although the final score indicates that India triumphed by six wickets with 21 balls remaining, the reality during the match was quite different, particularly when Bangladesh took three wickets, leaving India at 144/4 in pursuit of 229 runs on a pitch that posed significant challenges for the batsmen.

"Undoubtedly one of the most fulfilling innings I have played and my first century in ICC events. I am very pleased and happy with my performance," stated Gill, who was named Player of the Match, during the post-match presentation.

The opener concluded his innings unbeaten on 101 from 129 balls, including nine fours and two sixes. This marked Gill's eighth ODI century, making him the fastest Indian to achieve this milestone, surpassing Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, and Sachin Tendulkar. However, it was one of his least fluid performances. The reason for this was the disciplined bowling from Bangladesh and the sluggish nature of the Dubai pitch. The conditions were so challenging that Gill faced three dot balls even after reaching his century.

Gill's innings evoked memories of the 1990s and early 2000s. He began with an aggressive approach, capitalizing on the fielding restrictions, but as the field spread and the situation became more challenging, he opted for a more patient strategy. Gill accumulated 69 runs in 9.5 overs before Rohit Sharma was dismissed by pacer Taskin Ahmed while attempting a powerful shot, leaving India at 69 for 1.

During our outing, Rohit and I found it challenging to cut the ball effectively, as deliveries outside the off-stump were not coming onto the bat smoothly. Consequently, I decided to utilize my footwork against the fast bowlers and attempted to play over the infield, he remarked.

This partnership held considerable importance from a competitive perspective, particularly as the pitch significantly slowed down during the middle overs, complicating the batting conditions.

Virat Kohli appeared somewhat cautious and vigilant, taking ten balls to score his first run.

Although he eventually settled in, an aggressive cut shot against leg-spinner Rishad Hossain led to his dismissal for 22 runs.

"When the spinners entered the attack, Virat and I discussed that scoring singles off the front foot was proving difficult, so we aimed to secure runs off the back foot instead. Additionally, hitting down the ground was challenging, so we focused on rotating the strike," Gill explained.

The quick dismissals of Axar Patel, who was again elevated to the No. 5 position, and Shreyas Iyer left India in a precarious situation at 144 for four.

Rahul and Gill steer India to win

However, KL Rahul, who had been dropped on nine by Jaker Ali off Taskin, ensured that there were no further setbacks, delivering a steadfast unbeaten innings of 41 runs from 47 balls.

Gill and Rahul forged an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 87 runs, guiding their team to victory.

In the face of adversity, Gill mentioned that a message from the dressing room urged them to remain at the crease until the end, ensuring India achieved the target without any additional complications. "At one point, we felt some pressure. The directive from outside was clear: I needed to bat until the end, and that was my objective," he concluded.

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