Adelaide, Oct 23 (IANS) After losing the series to Australia with a two-wicket defeat at the Adelaide Oval, India captain Shubman Gill rued missed opportunities in the field, adding that catches being shelled didn’t help their cause while defending 264.

In their defence, India dropped Travis Head’s catch, though he fell early. But dropping Matt Short twice, who eventually made 74, proved to be costly for the visitors’. “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,” said Gill at the conclusion of the game.

He also felt the toss played a bigger role in the rain-hit first ODI, as conditions in the second game evened out after the initial movement. “In the first game, it (toss) was more crucial because of the rain. But in this game, I wouldn’t say that much because both the teams played for almost 50 overs. The wicket was doing a little bit more initially. But I think the wicket settled pretty nicely after 15-20 overs,” said Gill.

He also lauded Rohit Sharma’s gritty 73, coming off 97 balls. “Never easy, coming back and to play some competitive cricket after a long time. But the initial phase was very challenging. Very pleased the way he batted. Fought out in the initial phase. I would say he missed out on a really big knock.”

Australia skipper Mitchell Marsh was delighted with the series win and the crowd atmosphere for the game. “Been awesome. It’s rare to play in front of big crowds in ODI cricket. Thrilled to have won the series. Josh took the best none-for I’ve ever seen. We were outstanding with the bat too.”

He also praised fifties coming from the bats of Short and Connolly. “It was awesome batting (from the youngsters), the future is bright for Australian cricket. We’ll certainly have a beer and enjoy ourselves in the changing room, but small turnaround between this game and next. India are a great team, so we’ll want to enjoy this win,” said Marsh.

Leg-spinner Adam Zampa, who was named Player of the Match for his four-wicket haul, echoed Marsh’s sentiments and acknowledged the quality of the opposition. “Nice to beat India. It’s always been a good battle against them, particularly in one-day cricket. Even in India, we’ve always tested them and they’ve come here and tested us at times as well. Two teams that have adapted to the conditions really well. They’re the best team in the world. They have been for a little while now. So, it’s great to test ourselves against them.”

He also credited the pacers for setting the tone and making his life easier in the later half of the innings. “Those guys (pacers) have been owning powerplay for a long time. 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.”

Zampa signed off by lauding Marsh’s leadership skills, as Australia got an ODI series win after three losses on the trot. “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.

–IANS

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