India got off to a flying start in the third ODI at Indore on Tuesday, hoping to defeat New Zealand 3-0. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill went ballistic after New Zealand captain Tom Latham unexpectedly invited India to bat after winning the toss and giving the team an explosive start. At the end of 10 overs, India’s total read a stunning 82 for no loss, one of their most amazing starts of all time, prompting the inevitable question. Is India on track to score their highest ODI total ever?
Given how insane Rohit and Gill were, R Ashwin has predicted a 400-plus total for the Men in Blue. With the run rate hovering around 8 runs per over, Ashwin’s ‘early call’ could become a reality. “Today’s score of 400 or higher? #India vs. New Zealand, “India’s spinner tweeted. Ashwin’s audacious prediction sparked a frenzy on Twitter, with many predicting a record-breaking day for Team India and their individual batters. India has reached 400 runs in ODIs six times, and today could be the seventh.
Gill has already scored a double century in the series, and Rohit is no stranger to scoring double hundreds. With both batters putting up a century partnership in just 76 balls, New Zealand is in trouble. After a quiet first four overs in which India scored 17 with three boundaries, the next three overs were rife with carnage, despite Lockie Ferguson’s maiden. The highlight was Gill’s eight over, in which he smoked Ferguson for 22 runs – four fours and two sixes. After two overs, Rohit smashed two sixes and a four to take 17 off the tenth.
Indore has long been a favorite haunt for batters, and the pitch for today’s surface doesn’t appear to be much different. Virender Sehwag scored his ODI double century here in 2011, and on the eve of the match, even coach Rahul Dravid mentioned how this isn’t a venue bowlers like to visit.
