The Men in Blue batted first in the contest after winning the toss. Rohit Sharma (34) and Shubman Gill gave the hosts a decent start with a watchful 60-run opening stand in 12 overs. Sharma once again failed to convert his start as he perished while attempting a slog shot.

Virat Kohli and Ishan Kishan also returned to the pavilion soon after, leaving their side in a spot of bother. Shubman Gill remained unfazed at the other end and scored runs briskly, rotating the strike well and hitting timely boundaries.

Suryakumar Yadav (31) and Hardik Pandya (28) kept him company with mini contributions. Shubman Gill batted through the innings until the final over and single-handedly took his side to a daunting total of 349/8.

Gill hit three magnificent sixes in the 49th over against Lockie Ferguson to reach his maiden ODI double century, the youngest batter to do so.

Speaking at the mid-innings break, Kiwi all-rounder Daryl Mitchell (2/30) reflected on the first innings and said:

He added:

Fans react after Shubman Gill’s astonishing double century powers India to 349/8 in 1st ODI vs New Zealand

Indian cricket fans were mesmerized after witnessing a magnificent batting effort from Gill. They expressed their reactions by sharing memes on social media platforms.

Here are some of the best reactions:

Do you think Gill has cemented his spot in India’s ODI XI? Sound off in the comments section.

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