Gill rues middle-order collapse after defeat

Cardiff, July 16 (PTI) India captain Shubman Gill blamed his side's middle-order collapse after England chased down a modest 234 with four wickets in hand in the second ODI here on Thursday to level the three-match series 1-1. Joe Root anchored the chase with a patient 99 not out as England chased down the target in 44.1 overs. Gill admitted India were well short of the total they had targeted at the halfway stage of the innings. From 178 for 3 at one stage, India slumped to 193 for 7 in a space of 26 deliveries and never recovered. "We thought 300-310 would be a good total after 25 overs when we were in a good position, but we lost too many wickets in the middle overs," Gill said. The skipper expected greater contribution from the lower middle-order after the top-order had laid a solid platform. "Our tailenders are not the best batsmen, but we expected more from the lower middle-order batters and they were not able to capitalise on their starts," Gill said. Gill also lamented the injury of Washington Sundar, saying it robbed India of bowling option at a crucial stage. "Never a good feeling when you ping one to cover. (Washington) Sundar is a key part of our team. Maybe it would have played a part, squeezing in the pressure." The India captain said the visitors had little option but to rely heavily on their frontline pacers after Washington's departure, though he felt the conditions continued to favour the seamers. "We had to bowl our main bowlers throughout the innings. I don't think it would have made a huge difference because the ball was doing more for the fast bowlers, but when you lose a key player, there is some momentum loss." Gill reserved special praise for Root, saying England's batting mainstay never allowed India an opening in a chase that suited his strengths. "We always knew that if the run-rate was five or more, we could have got a false shot out of him, but this kind of chase, he's a master of these totals." Partnerships were key: Root ================ Player-of-the-Match Root was delighted with England's response after the opening defeat, saying grinding out wins in testing conditions was a hallmark of good teams. "That's what the game is all about. 1-1 in the series going to Lord's. In those conditions, staying till the end and getting the win, that's what it's all about. Getting the win was the important thing." The former England captain said batting was far from straightforward and partnerships were the key to absorbing India's pressure. "Conditions were difficult to bat on, and we needed those partnerships to soak up the pressure. Sometimes you have to scrap for it and win ugly." Root also brushed aside criticism surrounding England's recent ODI form, saying the side had once again shown its ability to bounce back after a defeat. "You could look at the last 30 games and our record or look at the here and now. We won the series in Sri Lanka after losing the first game. We learned lessons from that defeat. We did exactly that here." He felt that the victory over the top-ranked ODI side underlined that England were stronger than public perception suggested. "To beat the world No. 1 team is great. The perception of this team is very different from where it is." PTI KHS KHS TAP