India will face England in the fourth Test of the ongoing five-match series at Old Trafford in Manchester, starting July 23.
Team India trails 1-2 in the series, so this upcoming game is a do-or-die situation. A loss here would seal the series in England’s favor with one match still left to play.
But before the action moves to Manchester, former India cricketer and current commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has stirred controversy with a strong claim about the previous game at Lord’s.
Shubman Gill Targeted by Personal Comments, Says Manjrekar
Manjrekar, while speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, revealed that Shubman Gill was subjected to personal attacks by England players during the 3rd Test.
He believes that these comments, caught on the stump mic, disrupted Gill’s rhythm and contributed to his poor performance in that match.
“He came out looking very tentative and, you know, these days we are privy to the stump mic and we could hear the things being said and there were some personal attacks made. This could be a new experience for Shubman Gill because these days, as you can see, you know, with Indian players, there’s mostly a friendly reception from a lot of foreign teams. So this was new territory. And he looked tentative and wasn’t up for it,” Manjrekar said.
Shubman Gill’s Batting Form Took a Sudden Dip in Lord’s Test
Shubman Gill entered the Lord’s Test in fine form, having already scored over 600 runs in the series.
But in that match, his scores dropped dramatically—he managed just 22 runs across both innings. Manjrekar pointed out that Gill seemed unusually unsure at the crease, missing deliveries he normally handled with ease.
“We saw it pan out in the way he batted. Because these were deliveries, good deliveries, but he’s negotiated beautifully through his marathon run as a batter through the series. And suddenly he was missing those balls. There was a review situation as well. Next ball, there was a leg before. Going through Shubman Gill’s defence has been hard work. He has hardly missed a ball. The control percentage has been brilliant. And suddenly, in about nine deliveries [in the second innings], he’s missed four. I have no doubt that there is a connection there,” he added.
India Need a Strong Comeback With Gill at the Core
With the series on the line, India will be hoping Gill finds his footing again in Manchester.
His contribution at the top will be crucial if India wants to level the series and stay in contention. All eyes will be on how he handles the pressure after the tense scenes at Lord’s.
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