Gill Throws Bowlers Under The Bus After India's ODI Series Loss To England

India captain Shubman Gill blamed his team's inability to stem the flow of runs at the death after England amassed 388, saying the hosts' late assault ultimately proved decisive in the visitors' 27-run defeat in the series-deciding third ODI at Lord's on Sunday. Reflecting on the turning point, Gill said India remained firmly in the contest until the closing stages of England's innings, before an expensive finish with the ball swung the game decisively in the hosts' favour.

"We were right in the game until the 45th over (when England batted). Gave away a lot of runs in the last three overs. That's where the game went away from us," Gill said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

"We thought if we had wickets in hand after 40 overs, we would be in the game. At the same time, we didn't want to be too far behind. After the powerplay we tried to play at 6-6.5 runs per over and chase at 10 in the last 10 overs," he said.

Gill drew encouragement from Rohit Sharma's fluent century, saying the senior opener once again demonstrated why he remains one of the world's finest ODI batters despite the surface becoming increasingly difficult for stroke-making.

"They (Rohit and Kohli) have done well over the years in different parts of the world. Pleased with how Rohit batted today. The wicket got slow in the end, wasn't easy to bat, but treat to watch." India had conceded heavily in the closing overs after England had already laid a solid platform through Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell and Joe Root, leaving the chase steeper than anticipated.

Gill admitted his bowlers never quite recovered after conceding too many runs in the first powerplay, allowing England to dictate terms before finishing with a flourish.

"Almost everyone got runs. In this match particularly, we didn't bowl well in the first powerplay. The way they capitalised never gave us chance to come back. At the death, they got too far away from us." England captain Harry Brook was delighted with the character shown by his side, which bounced back after losing the opening ODI to clinch the series against the world's top-ranked team.

"Extremely proud. Fought hard, communicated well and manage to escape away with a series win over the world No. 1. Spoken about setting a template. Duckett and Bethell were sensational. Outstanding partnership. Rooty doing what Root does. Jos finishing the innings was awesome to watch." Brook also revealed that a brief conversation with head coach Brendon McCullum encouraged him to persist with Jacob Bethell's spell despite some difficult moments.

"I went off for an over and had a chat to Baz. He said why don't you have a crack with Beth, and bowl him for seven or eight overs straight through. It was tough at times but we got the job done," Brook said.

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