File photo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli© AFP
India got off to a strong start in the ODI series with a win over West Indies in the opening game and now move to Guwahati for the second ODI, where they will look to build on that momentum. Abhishek Nayar dissected Shubman Gill‘s adaptability, Rohit Sharma’s struggles against Alzarri Joseph, Virat Kohli‘s evolving game and the bowling unit’s performance.
Speaking on JioStar’s ‘Game Plan’, JioStar expert Abhishek Nayar praised Shubman Gill’s batting in the first ODI:
“The special thing about Shubman is that he never overdoes things and never lets the bowler settle. He sticks to his plans, uses his skills to dominate, and enjoys batting in the middle. He came into the first ODI without much cricket since the England tour, but the rustiness didn’t affect him at all. That’s the mark of a quality player. What stood out was his ability to adapt. The West Indian pacers weren’t bowling with much pace, so he let the ball get older and adjusted his technique. Once he did that, his shots started coming freely. Against the spinners, his use of his feet was brilliant, while against the pacers, he went deep in the crease to create room. Whether stepping out or going deep, he always found a way to score. That ability to adapt is why he is such a prolific run-scorer. His ODI average this year is 95.85, which shows how well he knows how to get runs. Once he gets through the initial phase, he becomes very difficult to bowl to. He has done that consistently throughout 2026.”
On Rohit Sharma’s struggles against Alzarri Joseph in the first ODI and what to expect from him in the second ODI:
“When we talk about Rohit Sharma, we always think that if a fast bowler is bowling to him, he will score runs. It is never a problem. But Alzarri Joseph came as first change and beat him with pace. That is something Rohit will definitely be thinking about. From what I know of him, he will go back and watch the footage. He will keep replaying how he got out and how that maiden over happened. I am pretty sure he will come back stronger. But that dismissal will stay at the back of his mind. He might take his time early on, or he might counter-attack from the start in the second ODI. It depends on the plan he creates. But the Guwahati pitch could help the bowlers with pace and bounce. It is a red soil pitch, so there will be good bounce. That will be a test for Rohit. Hopefully, he corrects his approach in the second ODI.”
On what makes Virat Kohli special:
“One thing always comes to mind when we talk about Virat Kohli, and that is mentality. When you have scored a lot of runs, sometimes you become comfortable that you will score runs in a certain manner. But Virat is different. He does not stick to one method of scoring runs. People talk about his greatness. What is that greatness? It is his ability to change his method. Virat is someone who keeps scoring runs in different ways. His thinking that I want to do something I haven’t done before and giving himself that freedom is his greatness. He has scored fifteen thousand runs in the ODI format and that record repeatedly gives you the belief that playing like this gets me runs. So changing that mindset takes real courage. Kohli has worked on expanding his game, especially his strike rate and range of shots. That is why he has stayed at the top for so long. His greatness is not just about the runs he scores, but about his ability to adapt and keep improving even after achieving everything.”
On India’s bowling performance in the first ODI:
“The conditions in Thiruvananthapuram were quite different. In the first innings, there was no seam or swing. But when West Indies bowled, they got it. So it was more challenging for India. The lengths from the Indian bowlers were not bad. Batting was also good. Nitish Kumar Reddy was punished with the old ball because he usually bowls with the new ball in T20 cricket, like he did in the IPL. This is a one-off. But it is an investment. Gurnoor Brar is playing only his seventh ODI. When you give chances to inexperienced bowlers, you have to accept that they will go for runs or might not pick wickets. Overall, the team pulled it back well. The powerplay is not a concern yet. But the ball pitching areas need to be more consistent. The areas where he got hit for fours and where he took wickets need to change. In Gurnoor’s second spell, when he used the short ball, he looked like a completely different bowler compared to when he just hit a hard length. I think India will get better with time.”
Watch the second ODI of West Indies’ tour of India on Wednesday, September 30, from 2 PM onwards, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network
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