Shubman Gill Called 'Villain' After Poor Manchester Show, "Something Changed" At Lord's
Shubman Gill has been at the centre of attention right from the time the squad for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy was announced.
- Gill scored 16 and 6 in the 3rd Test at Lord's, and was involved in a spat. He got out for 12 in the 4th Test
- "Something changed on Day 3 (of Lord's Test)," Ex-India star Sanjay Manjrekar said about the spat
- "He has gone from being a batter to being a villain, as he was portrayed in Day 3," Jonathan Trott said
Shubman Gill has been at the centre of attention right from the time the squad for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy was announced. As he succeeded Rohit Sharma as the India Test captain, the spotlight was firmly on the 25-year-old star. Then, he repaid the faith scoring two tons and a double century in he first two Tests against England. The third Test at Lord's, however, challenged Shubman Gill both as a batter and as captain. He could score only 16 and 6. But more than that, Gill was involved in an ugly spat with England's Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett on the third day.
That poor run of form continued in the first innings of the fourth Test too, that started on Wednesday. Shubman Gill, the top run scorer so far in the series, had only 12 on the board before being trapped leg before wicket by England captain Ben Stokes, leaving India on 140-3.
The sudden loss in form was talked in details by former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar and former England batter Jonathan Trott.
“Shubman Gill getting out the way he has… he's suddenly become tentative since that incident on Day 3,” Manjrekar said on JioHotstar.
"I'll tell you what, there was an offensive shot he played before. This was a good delivery that came back in, but I'm looking at somebody who scored a ton of runs in the first couple of matches. I don't want to connect this (dismissal) with the incident that happened on Day 3, but suddenly, Shubman Gill is now not getting the scores. This is a bit of a reality check.
"It's not an extended stretch of failure, but he's getting out to defensive shots. I see a bit of tentativeness. Something changed on Day 3. He's a superstar in India, he goes to England, the world is at his feet, and now the world has suddenly changed.”
Former England player Jonathan Trott went on to say that Gill had become a 'villain' in the series.
“Suddenly, he has gone from being a batter to being a villain, as he was portrayed in Day 3. Attention went from his batting to how he was leading the side. The reception that he got today is undoubtedly something to do with the way he carried himself,” said Trott.
“The first two Tests were about Shubman Gill, the batter, but since then, he's made a target of himself. You're A, a good side, and B, have to face hostility. We need to see how long it takes Gill to bounce back from this."
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