India’s star batter Shubman Gill and England middle-order batter Jonny Bairstow had a verbal spat during the fifth and final Test between India and England teams at the Dharamshala stadium on Saturday.
On Day three, England’s wonderful pace wonder James Anderson had become the first pacer ever to reach 700 Test wickets in test history. One of his two subjects during India’s first innings was Shubman Gill, who had scored an amazing century, concluding what could be a breakthrough Test series after a string of low scores on a high for Shubman Gill.
Just before Gill had even reached his century, he and James Anderson exchanges words with each other. When he was asked in the post-day press conference, Gill had told, as quoted by Wisden on his exchange with Anderson, ” I think it would be better for both of us to keep that chat in private.”
When Jonny Bairstow came out to bat during England’s second innings when they were tasked with cutting down a lead of 259 runs by India, a very hard task indeed.
Jonny Bairstow tried to enquire Gill about what he said to Anderson during their exchange.
The 24-year-old batter, Gill boldly said that he told Anderson to retire. When Bairstow tried to remind Gill that Anderson got him soon after the exchange, the subject of conversations turned to centuries made during the series, where Gill had an upper hand over Bairstow, scoring two centuries as compared to none by the English batter.
What did Shubman Gill say to Jonny Bairstow?
Jonny Bairstow: “What did you say to Jimmy about him retiring?”
Shubman Gill: “I told him he should retire”
Bairstow: “And then he got you out next ball?”
Gill: “So what? How many times has…”
Bairstow: “I was just asking”
Gill: “He can get me out after my 100”
Bairstow: “100 per cent”
Gill: “How many 100s [do you have] this series?”
Bairstow: “How many have you scored, full stop?”
Both of the players were actively were trying to get under each others’ skins during a crucial point in the match, to lower expectations for both the sides and the trick went in India’s favour as just four balls later Kuldeep Yadav trapped Bairstow leg-before wicket for 39 in 31 balls and England went on to lose the game by an innings and 64 runs. India emerges as the winner
Gill had a very refined series with batting this season, ending as the second-highest run-getter with 452 runs in nine innings at an average of 56.5, with two centuries and two fifties. His best score was 110. Bairstow on the other hand flopped big time, losing out on a lot of opportunities and performing very weakly this season, managing just 238 runs in 10 innings at an average of 23.8, with the best score of 39.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, the visitors were bundled out for 218 in their first innings, with Zak Crawley (79 in 108 balls, with 11 fours and a six) top-scored for England, Jonny Bairstow (29), and Joe Root (26) the only notable contributors with the team this time.
Kuldeep Yadav (5/72) and Ravichandran Ashwin (4/51) topped the bowling charts for the India team.
