NEW DELHI: As Shubman Gill marked his captaincy debut with a brilliant unbeaten century at Headingley on Friday, an old verbal exchange between him and England’s Jonny Bairstow resurfaced online, going viral across cricket circles. The clip, originally from the final Test of the 2024 India-England series in Dharamshala, captures the two batters engaging in a light-hearted yet sharp sledging battle.The moment unfolded after Gill had scored a fine century but was soon dismissed by James Anderson. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Reportedly, Gill had earlier told Anderson, who had just become the first pacer to take 700 Test wickets, that he should retire. When Bairstow came out to bat in England’s second innings, he decided to revisit the conversation.
- Bairstow: “What did you say to Jimmy about him retiring?”
- Gill: “I told him he should retire.”
- Bairstow: “And then he got you out next ball?”
- Gill: “So what? He can get me out after my 100.”
- Bairstow: “100 percent.”
- Gill: “How many hundreds do you have this series?”
- Bairstow: “How many have you scored, full stop?”
Watch:Though the exchange ended with smirks, the scoreboard soon tilted India’s way. Bairstow was dismissed just four balls later by Kuldeep Yadav, and India won the match by an innings to seal the series 4-1.
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Who do you think performed better in the sledging exchange: Shubman Gill or Jonny Bairstow?
Now, months later, Gill has led from the front in his first innings as India’s Test captain, scoring a commanding 127 not out against England in the series opener at Headingley.
With Jaiswal’s 101 and Pant’s unbeaten 65, India finished Day 1 on 359/3, firmly in control.The resurfaced sledging video has added another layer of drama to the new series. While England, without Bairstow, look to regroup, Shubman Gill’s performance, both with the bat and as leader, signals a confident new era for Indian Test cricket.