‘Kohli Would Have Got A Hundred, But If You looked At Gill…’: Former Indian Cricketer Believes Virat’s Void As Key Reason For Lord’s Test Loss | Cricket News
Virat Kohli who announced his Test retirement before the start of ongoing five-match Test series against England, continues to rule fan’s hearts and is frequently discussed by cricket pundits. India lost the 3rd Test at Lord’s in a heart-wrenching fashion with a narrow defeat of 22 runs chasing a total of 193 runs in the fourth innings. Former India cricketer turned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar made blunt remark comparing Shubman Gill’s batting and captaincy with Virat Kohli. After Shubman Gill’s heated on-field confrontation with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett on the third day of the Lord’s Test, many drew comparisons between Gill’s fiery attitude and Kohli’s well-known aggression.
However, when it came to batting in that match, Gill did not display the same determination as Kohli. The India captain was dismissed for 16 and 6 runs in the first and second innings respectively at Lord’s. This came despite Gill’s remarkable batting performance in the second Test at Edgbaston, where he scored 269 and 161.
Virat Kohli had a poor 2014 outing in England managing to score mere 134 runs in 10 innings, but made a remarkable comeback in 2018 scoring 578 runs with Two centuries and three fifty to his name. In 2021 series he scored 218 runs in 7 innings and in the last test he played at England, the one-off test he accumulated just 31 runs in the match.
Gill’s exchange with Crawley and Duckett only seemed to motivate the England team further, ultimately contributing to his dismissal for a low score. Following the game, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar stated that Kohli would have scored a century if he had been at the crease instead of Gill.
Manjrekar offered a harsh comparison between Gill and Kohli, saying, “If somebody wants to build a brand by saying, we are Indians, we are not less than anyone. That (The thought process) gets a lot of attention and mileage. I hope Shubman Gill wasn’t doing it for that.” He added, “What Virat Kohli did was second nature to him. His cricket and batting used to get enhanced by that. Shubman Gill, I’m not sure whether this (aggression) comes naturally to him. If Virat Kohli had come out to bat, he would have looked into the face of those people and got a hundred. But if you looked at Shubman Gill’s body language, the man who has almost batted like Bradman, was so tentative. The way he batted in those 9 balls seemed like he had gotten a pair. That is a clear message to me that aggression may not be his natural demeanour or approach.”
Meanwhile, England’s victory at Lord’s has given them a 2-1 lead in the series. They now have the opportunity to seal the series by winning the upcoming Test at Old Trafford. It is crucial for Shubman Gill and his teammates to secure a win in the fourth Test; otherwise, they risk losing the series before the fifth and final match is even played.
