Batting legend Ricky Ponting said India skipper Shubman Gill‘s aggressive posturing during the Lord’s Test against England was “a little out of character” but at the same time viewed it as a “captain standing up for his team”. The closely-fought game saw plenty of drama on the field, including an animated flare-up between Shubman Gill and the England openers towards the end of the third day of the Test.
India had managed to equal England’s first innings total of 387, and wanted to squeeze in two overs in the remaining six minutes of play. However, that wasn’t possible as the English openers took their time to get ready, and Shubman Gill exchanged words with Zak Crawley and then Ben Duckett.
At the close of a simmering third day at Lord’s, Tim Southee accused Shubman Gill of double standards, as tempers frayed in the evening light. India’s captain Shubman Gill was drawn into a fiery moment with England opener Zak Crawley, fuming as Crawley twice pulled away from his stance with Jasprit Bumrah ready to bowl. The cameras lingered on Shubman Gill, mouthing expletives in Crawley’s direction, frustration spilling into full view.
Three days of cricket that often failed to match the red-hot temperatures it has been played in ended on Saturday with six minutes of rancour, Shubman Gill exhorting Zak Crawley to “grow some fucking balls”, and both sides accusing the other of time-wasting. The sudden outbreak of tension came in the day’s extraordinary conclusion, in which England’s openers used every tactic in their armoury to prevent India squeezing a second over into their brief spell in the field before stumps.
While Indian skipper Shubman Gill received flaks and trolls for his behavior on the field by several cricket experts and media all around, Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting came in full support of the aggresive behavior of Shubman Gill – The captain.
It was little out of character from Shubman Gill- Ricky Ponting
Ahead of the crucial fourth Test at Old Trafford starting on Wednesday, legendary batter Ricky Ponting has supported India skipper Shubman Gill’s on-field aggression during the Lord’s Test, stating that Shubman Gill was standing up for his team.
With the series level at 1-1 heading into the Lord’s Test last week, the fiercely contested third Test between England and India delivered plenty of on-field tension. One of the more heated moments came late on Day 3, when Shubman Gill had an animated exchange with England’s openers.
After India matched England’s first-innings total of 387, they hoped to sneak in two quick overs in the final six minutes of the day. However, Zak Crawley thwarted those plans by pulling out of two deliveries during Jasprit Bumrah’s run-up and calling the physio for a hand injury, leading to a fiery confrontation between Shubman Gill and the two openers.
ICC Hall of Famer Ponting understood why Shubman Gill’s aggressive posturing at Lord’s was met with surprise. Ricky Ponting said that Shubman Gill’s actions were out of character based on what he knew of him in the past.
“That was a little out of character from what I’ve known from Shubman in the past. I am sure everyone that was there watching it and I know you would know him quite well, that’s not what he’s generally like,” Ricky Ponting told host Sanjana Ganesan in the latest episode of The ICC Review.
But Ricky Ponting also sympathised with Gill, saying it was a case of a young captain taking a stand for his team under the circumstances.
“That’s the captain standing up for his team, that’s a captain really wanting to show that it’s his team now and this is the way that we’re going to play the game, and also, I guess, wanting to give a little bit back.”
Ricky Ponting, who played Tests in England across four separate tours and twice as captain (2005 and 2009), said that the pressures of such a high-profile tour could impact a skipper.
“The UK can be a hard place to play. The crowds, as much as they love their game, can be as hostile a place to play as anywhere in the world.
“The media there, when you’re in a big series, when it’s an Ashes series or when it’s England and India, the media always feel like they’re right on top of your back as well.” Ponting continued
Ricky Ponting also felt that during the high-intensity Test, which India narrowly lost by 22 runs, Shubman Gill needed to assert himself and lead with authority, similar to former captain Virat Kohli.
“I think that’s him starting to put his stamp on his team. And a lot like Virat (Kohli) did, similar ways like that. Rohit (Sharma) probably was never as outwardly aggressive, I guess, especially to opposition players.
“I know he (Rohit) would quite often get aggressive with his teammates and try to bring the best out of them that way. But I love watching Shubman stand up for what he thought was right in the game last week.” Ponting concluded.
For India, winning the fourth Test is a must if they want to win the series. This is Shubman Gill’s first series as India captain. He took over the reigns of the team after Rohit Sharma retired as Test captain. India and England will square off in the Manchester Test from July 23.
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