'Maan le. Yeh Leeds nahi hai': Shubman Gill stops Siraj, proves why BCCI was right in appointing him India Test captain
Shubman Gill’s celebration after Mohammed Siraj’s strike vs Zak Crawley showed why BCCI’s captaincy call was spot on—3 tons and sharp tactics in just 4 innings.
Shubman Gill has taken to leadership like a fish to water. Less than a fortnight into the series in England, he has moved past constant comparisons with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma—not just with the bat, having scored three centuries in four innings, but also with his captaincy. A glimpse of his tactical acumen came late on Day 4 in Birmingham, when Mohammed Siraj gave India a crucial breakthrough by dismissing Zak Crawley for a seven-ball duck in England’s final innings.
In a video released by broadcaster Star Sports on social media, Siraj and Gill are seen in a conversation over the field placement. The fast bowler is adamant about having a different set-up, as he is heard saying: "Nahi, main udhar ki baat kar raha hu. Udhar bhi hai (I was talking about that place. There's a fielder there as well)."
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Gill listened to him patiently and then confidently told him that he reckons there will be a catch on the offside. He felt the wicket was different from that India encountered in the series opener in Leeds last month and hence told Siraj to go with the normal delivery.
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"Udhar catch jayega. Pichle mein bhi udhra out hua hain. Mann le! Yeh waisa wicket hai. Leeds wala wicket nahi hai. Normal daal (There will be a catch. He got out in the same way last time. Just listen to me. This wicket is different from that in Leeds. Go with the normal delivery)," he said.
A few deliveries later, Siraj pitched one fuller that shaped away. Crawley took the bait, leaned into the drive, but the ball flew low off the open face of the bat and nestled safely in the hands of substitute fielder Sai Sudharsan. Gill, wild in celebration, wore an unmistakable 'told you so' expression as he embraced Siraj.
Regardless of what Day 5 at Edgbaston holds, the moment was another reminder of why the BCCI selectors may have been spot on in handing Gill the Test captaincy.
England set mammoth 608-run target
Gill followed his first-innings 267 in the second Test with another superb knock of 161 off just 162 balls. He became the first batsman in Test history to have scores of 250 and 150 in the same match. The India captain eventually declared the second innings on 427-6 after tea on the fourth evening, leaving England with a mammoth 608 runs to chase.
No team in the history of the format has made more runs in the final innings of a Test match than the West Indies' 418 against Australia at St John's in 2003. England's very own record is of 378, which they did against India three years back.
What added to their woes was that Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep once again struck with the new ball, leaving England at 72-3 at Saturday's close in Birmingham. They need 536 runs more on the final day to achieve a win that would be remarkable even in their current 'Bazball' era of aggressive batting.
