India’s young Test captain Shubman Gill may have surprised many with his animated outburst at Lord’s, but for Ricky Ponting, the moment symbolised something deeper — the emergence of a leader putting his stamp on the team.
The third Test between England and India, a gripping contest that swung both ways before ending in a narrow 22-run win for the hosts, wasn’t short of drama. One such flashpoint came late on Day 3 when Gill got into a heated exchange with England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett.
India had just drawn level with England’s first-innings total of 387 and were keen to squeeze in two overs before stumps, but delays at the crease prompted an intense reaction from the 온라인카지노 skipper.
“That was a little out of character from what I've known from Shubman in the past,” Ponting told host Sanjana Ganesan on The ICC Review. “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.”
While the incident surprised many, the ICC Hall of Famer saw it as a clear signal of intent from the 24-year-old captain.
“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.”
Ponting, who led Australia in England during the intense 2005 and 2009 Ashes tours, sympathised with the challenges Gill faces on such a high-stakes assignment.
“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,” he explained. “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.”
He also saw echoes of a former 온라인카지노 captain in Gill’s assertive presence: “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.”
As India trail 1-2 in the five-match series, the fourth Test at Manchester — beginning July 23 — now carries added weight.
