Shubman Gill’s Lord’s Outburst Lacks Virat Kohli’s Swagger: Deserves a ‘Slap on the Wrist’ and Self-Reflection
Sayuri YukiShubman Gill’s outburst is unacceptable but should be regarded as an isolated incident, not evidence of a complete change in character.
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KL Rahul Praises India’s ‘Fired Up’ Spirit Amid Lord’s Test Drama
KL Rahul acknowledges he has seen this ‘fired up’ Indian side before, highlighting their resilience and passion. Abhay Sharma, India’s Under-19 coach on the England tour eight years ago, admires Rahul’s ability to stay grounded despite highs and lows.
Shubman Gill has had an excellent tour but showed an uncharacteristic, tense side during the closing moments of Day 3 at Lord’s. After India’s first innings total of 387 tied the scores, England had just six minutes—two overs—to survive before stumps. England’s openers, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, slowed play to limit India’s bowling opportunities, with Crawley dawdling and pulling out of his stance, frustrating Jasprit Bumrah.
After Bumrah’s sharp delivery struck Crawley’s glove, the batter called for the physio, prompting a fiery reaction from Gill. Known for his calm demeanor, Gill was heard over the stump mic telling Crawley to ‘Grow some f***ing balls,’ accompanied by an offensive gesture—an unexpected outburst from the usually composed captain.
Why Shubman Gill’s Lord’s reaction may haunt him later
At the time of writing, Shubman Gill has not yet been summoned by ICC match referee Richie Richardson for his on-field outburst. While he may face consequences, his otherwise clean disciplinary record suggests this incident could be a one-off. Reflecting calmly, Gill will likely acknowledge that such abusive behavior has no place in cricket. The frustration stemmed from clear time-wasting tactics by England’s Zak Crawley, which umpires might have controlled better from the start.
India’s leadership history includes a range of styles—from the fiery aggression of Virat Kohli and Sourav Ganguly to the quieter steadiness of Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, MS Dhoni, and Rohit Sharma. Unlike Kohli’s longstanding reputation for brashness, it would be premature to label Gill similarly based on this isolated event. Even if he were not captain, such frustration might have surfaced, but as leader, Gill is held to higher standards.
Given that this was only Gill’s third Test as captain, he deserves some leniency. While his outburst is unacceptable, it should be viewed as an exception, not a permanent change in character.
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