Indian cricketer Shubhman Gill
Credit: PTI Photo
London: Indian skipper Shubman Gill rued a top-order failure that played a huge role in the visitors suffering a 22-run loss in the third Test against England but praised the much pilloried lower order for putting up a strong fight.
Chasing 193 for victory, the India top-order was blown away by Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes across two days with only first-innings centurion KL Rahul (39) and Karun Nair (14) managing double-digit scores amongst the top six. “I think we played well yesterday and today. Unfortunately, the top order failed for the first time in the series. We didn’t perform well. We have seen how after the ball goes past 30-40 overs, it becomes easier to bat. But hats off to the way Jaddu bhai (Ravindra Jadeja) and the way the lower order batted. Second time the lower order has performed well. I’m very proud of their performance,” said Gill at the post-match press conference here at Lord’s on Monday.
“190 was not a tough target to chase. We wanted to play well in the first 20-25 overs. If we had one 50-run partnership or two at the top of the order, the result could have been different. The deeper the match went, the easier it would have been for us.”
In a series that was played in the right spirits, suddenly turned dramatic when Gill had a verbal go at Zak Crawley on the third evening over the England opener’s time-wasting tactics. The fuse was lit and sparks flew continuously until the very end, turning the contest into a spectacle. Gill felt such theatre is what makes Test cricket exciting.
“You're giving everything, mentally, physically, everything. There would be times when there would be a little bit of heat from both sides. But I think that's what makes it so exciting. That's what makes it more challenging. The next time we're going to play against each other, there won't be… at the end of the day there is admiration between both teams. Both teams try their best to be able to win a match and perform. There can be moments where there would be some kind of heat. You're in the moment, you’re trying everything to be able to do whatever it takes to make your team win. And I think it happens in a game of cricket.”
For a third successive time, a result was decided in the very final session and Gill felt it just showed how evenly matched both teams are. “I would call it exciting. The longer the match goes shows how well both teams are balanced. It's just a matter of which team keeps their calm and composed for the longer time. I think both teams, the skill set that both teams have is so balanced. And we both play, I think, such a kind of similar yet different cricket that we’ve challenged each other equally in the Test matches. And that's what makes the series, especially the series of five Test matches, so exciting and special.”