"They play very well in subcontinental conditions": Ganguly on India's ODI chase vs West Indies and Asian Games semi win

# What happened Former India captain Sourav Ganguly reacted to two standout performances by Indian teams on consecutive days: a record-breaking ODI chase against the West Indies and a dominant T20 semifinal showing at the Asian Games 2026. He described India as a good team that performs strongly in subcontinental conditions and singled out Shubman Gill as a very good player.

# The ODI in Guwahati — West Indies 405, India chase to win West Indies posted their highest-ever ODI total, 405 for 7, driven by three fast centuries: John Campbell (101 off 68), Shai Hope (104 off 94) and Amir Jangoo (114 off 77). That total set up an unusually large target for a 50-over match.

India responded with an aggressive chase. Shubman Gill produced an unbeaten 223 off 133 balls while Rohit Sharma contributed 101 off 75. Their partnership and follow-up cameos — Virat Kohli 29 off 19 and Ruturaj Gaikwad 31* off 37 — took India to 406 in 43.3 overs, an eight-wicket win that sealed the three-match series.

# Asian Games semifinal — India vs Sri Lanka (T20 format) A separate Indian side, led at the Asian Games, faced Sri Lanka in the T20 semifinal. India batted first and reached 169 for 7 in 20 overs. Ishan Kishan's unbeaten 80 off 46 balls anchored a middle-order recovery when India had slipped to 87 for 4. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi provided a brisk 38 off 21 earlier in the innings.

Sri Lanka's chase collapsed. Jasprit Bumrah (2/7), Axar Patel (3/8), Abhishek Sharma (2/2) and Washington Sundar (1/18) shared the wickets as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 45 in 9.5 overs. India won by 124 runs and advanced to the final, where they will meet Pakistan.

# What Ganguly said Speaking to ANI, Ganguly said India's results are not surprising given their comfort in subcontinental conditions. He highlighted Shubman Gill as a stand-out player and described India simply as a good team that plays well in those conditions.

# Why it matters These two results, in different formats and with largely different playing XIs, show depth across India's cricketing setup. The ODI performance demonstrated the team's ability to chase very large totals in 50-over cricket. The Asian Games win showcased bowling depth in the shorter format and finishing capability under pressure.

# Quick facts

• West Indies scored 405/7 in the ODI, their highest ODI total.
• Shubman Gill: 223* off 133 in the chase.
• Rohit Sharma: 101 off 75 in the chase.
• India reached 406 in 43.3 overs to win by eight wickets.

• India will face Pakistan in the Asian Games final.

# Bottom line Ganguly framed both wins as evidence of India's strength in familiar conditions. The ODI chase underlined elite batting firepower, while the Asian Games match confirmed effective bowling and match management in T20s.