Talking Points: Gill's march, Kishan's dream return and India's growing depth

A hundred in the one-off Test, an unbeaten 84 in the series opener, and now 154 - Shubman Gill's run-scoring streak rolled on in Lucknow, where oppressive heat proved no obstacle to another commanding display. Batting in temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius and through multiple drinks breaks, Gill barely put a foot wrong during his 110-ball stay at the crease, striking 22 fours and two sixes in another assured display of batting.

He steadily raised the tempo without ever appearing to force the pace. A six off Nangeyalia Kharoti brought up a 38-ball fifty, while his ninth ODI hundred came up in just 77 balls, and by the end of the 40th over, he had surged to 146 off only 104 deliveries. There were moments when the conditions appeared to catch up with him. Cramps required attention from the physio and the relentless Lucknow heat tested both teams. Yet, Gill carried on unfazed, pacing the innings expertly before eventually falling for 154 while attempting an uncharacteristic reverse sweep.

The heat may have tested him, but Gill's appetite for runs showed no signs of fading. A ninth Player of the Match award in ODIs since January 2022 drew him level with Virat Kohli at the top of the list, as the milestones continue to pile up.

Back in India's ODI side after a prolonged absence, Ishan Kishan has quickly begun making his presence felt. In the rain-shortened first ODI in Dharamsala, Kishan walked in at No. 3 and made a brisk 34 off 22 balls. In Lucknow, he was handed a different role at No. 4 and responded with a blistering 125 off 79 deliveries, laced with 14 fours and seven sixes. The left-hander took time to settle before shifting gears dramatically.

He needed 52 balls to get to his fifty but raced to his hundred in the next 19 deliveries, bringing up the milestone in just 71 balls - the third-fastest ODI century against Afghanistan. By the end of his innings, he had struck 14 fours and seven sixes, repeatedly taking on both pace and spin as Afghanistan struggled to contain him. Having forced his way into India's T20 World Cup plans not too long ago, Kishan appears intent on making a similar case in ODIs.

There was a point in the innings when 450 no longer felt ambitious. By the time India crossed 300 in 35.5 overs - the fourth-fastest instance of a team reaching the mark while batting first in ODIs - Gill and Kishan had already rewritten several records. Their 224-run stand off just 140 deliveries became the joint second-highest partnership against Afghanistan in ODIs and one of only three 200-plus stands by India to score at over nine runs an over. The pair also scripted a unique first: never before had two Indian batters scored ODI centuries in 80 balls or fewer in the same innings. The innings, though, did not quite finish the way India would have wanted.

India lost seven wickets for 62 runs in the final 10 overs and were bowled out for 402 in 49.5 overs. Afghanistan, led by Nangeyalia Kharoti and Rashid Khan, clawed back impressively after spending much of the afternoon in pursuit of the ball. The 402 still marked another milestone for India in ODIs. This was the eighth time they had breached the 400-run mark in ODIs, drawing level with South Africa for the most such totals in the format.

There was another record too: this was the first instance of a team scoring 400-plus and being bowled out in an ODI. After being 300 up with more than 14 overs remaining, India may feel there were more runs to be had.

It took debutant Prince Yadav until his sixth over to finally get his maiden ODI wicket, when he castled Nangeyalia Kharoti with a delivery that straightened off the deck. He later returned to dismiss Rahmat Shah and wrap up the innings. Figures of 2 for 56 in 7.3 overs scarcely told the full story. Prince attacked the stumps and generated enough movement to trouble Afghanistan's batters. He was also unfortunate to be denied a wicket early on when Rahmanullah Gurbaz's dismissal was overturned because of a front-foot no-ball.

If Prince showed promise on debut, Gurnoor Brar continued to strengthen his case. The tall right-armer once again extracted bounce and movement at high pace, removing Gurbaz with a well-directed short ball before returning to clean up Hashmatullah Shahidi and Mohammad Saleem Safi. His figures of 3 for 60 gave him successive three-wicket hauls to begin his ODI career, making him only the second Indian after Piyush Chawla to take three or more wickets in each of his first two ODI appearances. India's pool of pace options appears to be getting deeper.

After a blistering hundred in the previous game, which almost single-handedly lifted Afghanistan to a competitive total, Rahmanullah Gurbaz once again shone with the bat, scoring a 33-ball 41. But after his dismissal, Afghanistan's batting order once again struggled to sustain momentum. It is a familiar issue for them. While they have long relied on Gurbaz's explosiveness at the top, support from the rest of the batting order has often been inconsistent.

Their captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, has particularly struggled for fluency in ODI cricket since the 2023 World Cup. In 20 innings during this period, Shahidi has scored 420 runs at an average of 26.25 and a strike rate of 65.83 - the lowest among the 61 batters to have batted in the top seven at least 15 times in that phase. Rahmat Shah's half-century once again underlined his value to Afghanistan's batting line-up, but they will need more from the rest if they are to consistently challenge the top sides.

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