Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes that Shubman Gill's heated exchange with English opener Zak Crawley during the third Test at Lord's may have unsettled the young captain and impacted his batting. Gill, 25, who had scored three centuries - including a career-best 269 - in the first two matches, was dismissed for just 6 in the second innings after the verbal altercation, which occurred moments before stumps on Day Three. India went on to lose the Test and now trail 1-2 in the five-match series.
"The thing with Virat Kohli was that he would get even more fired up and become a better batter [if things got nasty]. What disappointed me with Shubman Gill - and that's why I was wondering, where is Shubman Gill heading? - because that seemed like it didn't have the right effect on Shubman Gill the batter," Manjrekar said on ESPNcricinfo's Match Day.
Gill arrived at the Home of Cricket in scintillating form, having already amassed 485 runs in the series. But unlike his previous innings - where he often faced an older, softer ball - the fourth innings presented a sterner challenge: a fresh new ball on a tricky surface. According to Manjrekar, the extra spotlight Gill drew upon himself with his actions may have only made his job harder.
"If Shubman Gill had that kind of a fiery side to him, we would have seen it a little earlier. You don't have to show it when you're captain. Or did he show it because he's got this confidence now that he's won a Test match and scored so many runs?" Manjrekar questioned. "Because with Virat Kohli, you could see he was ready for a scrap. He was always looking to get into the thick of things - even before he was captain. That was a trait we saw early on. With Shubman Gill, I've never seen it before."
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