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Sanjay Manjrekar has critiqued Shubman Gill’s cautious play post England’s sledging on Day 4 at Lord’s, contrasting it with Virat Kohli’s aggressive style.
Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli (PTI)
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has said that captain Shubman Gill looked tentative after he was sledged constantly by the England players on Day 4 of the Lord’s Test, especially after his fiery interaction with them at the end of Day 3, comparing it with Virat Kohli’s improved performance while being ‘angry’.
At stumps on Day 4, India stuttered to 58/4, having lost Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Gill and night watchman Akash Deep.
A relentless Brydon Carse got the prized wicket of Gill, who was adjudged LBW off a sharp incoming ball.
“Gill, suddenly looking tentative last evening, had a lot to do with the hostility he got at the crease from England. Virat performed better, the angrier he got. Dhoni is the exact opposite. Gill must decide what gets the best out of him as a batter, calmness or anger,” Manjrekar tweeted on Monday morning.
Gill suddenly looking tentative last evening had a lot to do with the hostility he got at the crease from England. Virat performed better, the angrier he got. Dhoni the exact opposite. Gill must decide what gets the best out of him as batter, calmness or anger.— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) July 14, 2025
Carse had kept asking questions to Gill in that over and was rewarded. While it was expected that the latter would add some crucial runs with KL Rahul to take India closer to the target, he fell for just six runs.
Gill’s record in SENA nations was questioned ahead of his first Test series as skipper, but he has silenced his doubters by elevating his red ball game to the next level.
Although Gill is still the highest run-scorer in the series, with 607 runs from three matches at a stunning average of 101.16, his scores of 16 and six at Lord’s have raised questions over his mentality.
The Gill-led Indian batting line-up has delivered following the high-profile retirements of Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Behind Gill, his deputy Rishabh Pant is the second-highest run-scorer in the series, with 416 runs from five innings at a stunning average of 83.2 and with India needing 135 runs to win with six wickets in hand, a lot would depend on Pant.
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