Before the first ODI against the West Indies, Shikhar Dhawan responds to his detractors. People Keep Talking, I Keep Playing

The youthful opener Shubman Gill and India’s skipper for the ODI series Shikhar Dhawan put on a century partnership as the visitors initially amassed a mammoth 308/7 in 50 overs before winning the tense first match of the three-match series by three runs at the Queen’s Park Oval on Saturday (IST).

Dhawan missed the century by only three runs, but Gill, who was making his ODI comeback after December 2020, played as though he had everything to prove. He scored an incredible 64 off just 53 balls.

In the powerplay, the 22-year-old Gill displayed exceptional class by hammering the West Indies pacers for boundaries, soaring to 41 off 28 balls in the first 10 overs, and winning his first ODI.

While playing second fiddle at the other end, Dhawan continued to score at a good rate as the pair reached their 100-run partnership in just 14 overs. The captain also reached his half-century, which was his 36th in ODI cricket.

It took something exceptional to end the partnership since both batters were scoring quickly, and Nicholas Pooran delivered a magnificent direct hit to get Gill out for 64.

The West Indies were able to sneak in a few quiet overs, but Shikhar Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer batted coolly to prevent the hosts from making any further progress. Despite a few short-pitched deliveries, Iyer destroyed the spinners.

Dhawan appeared to be on track for his 18th ODI century, but a brilliant catch by Shamarh Brooks ended his innings just three runs shy of a century. Iyer (54) also failed shortly after turning fifty.