Mid‑order failure costs India the game, Shubman Gill says after 233 all out

Cardiff, July 17 – In the second ODI of the series, India’s batting imploded after a promising start, culminating in a total of 233 all out. England chased down 234 with six wickets lost in 44.1 overs, handing India a narrow 4‑run defeat.

Captain Shubman Gill, visibly upset, reflected on the day’s events, citing the mid‑order as the primary weak link. “We had a solid platform early on, but the middle‑order collapsed too quickly. We expected more stability from that section, especially after the top order set the tone.” He added that the team had over‑relied on the lower middle order to finish the innings, a strategy that backfired.

Addressing the injury to all‑rounder Washington Sundar, Gill said the side was forced to bowl the entire innings with its frontline pacers. “The seamers got plenty of help from the pitch, so the loss of Sundar didn’t affect the bowling conditions much, but it certainly limited our options and disrupted our rhythm.”

Only two batsmen, Virat Kohli (65) and Shreyas Iyer (66), managed to resist the English bowlers. Rohit Sharma’s 26 and Gill’s own 31 fell short of building a winning partnership, while Ishan Kishan, Sundar and Akshar Patel could not make any significant impact.