It hasn't always been Virat Kohli's batting that has brought up his name throughout the India-England Test series. At different points during a match, particularly when India hasn't performed well, there has been just as much, if not more, discussion about his mannerisms on the field, his ability to stare the opposition in the eye, his ability to energize the spectators, and his ability to inspire the bowlers and fielders. And keep in mind that India hasn't performed poorly in many of the sessions in this series.
When India failed to bowl England out on Day 5 at Headingley, renowned former cricketers like Ravi Shastri and Nasser Hussain claimed that Shubman Gill, the new captain, lacked the aggression and attitude despite his success with the bat. The home team took a 1-0 lead after chasing down 371. Additionally, Gill's attempt to adopt a more assertive stance backfired when he got into a nasty argument with England openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley during the end of Day 3 at Lord's.
Gill's aggressive attitude not only fired up England — in a way that former fast bowler Stuart Broad said he had never seen anything like it — but also heaped unnecessary pressure on the Indian captain when he walked out to bat late on Day 4. Surrounded and sledged by a charged-up English cordon, Gill — despite being the series' highest run-getter with three centuries, including a record-breaking 269 — looked uncertain and out of sorts.
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Gill missed a full toss at the beginning of his innings and survived only 9 balls before getting out for 6. Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar cautioned Gill against developing a brand around a persona that doesn't naturally fit him. "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," Manjrekar said on JioHotstar.
Kohli enjoyed picking fights with the opposition because it brought out the best in him, Manjrekar continued. If Kohli had stepped out to bat at that point, he thought he would have hammered a century at Lord's in the second innings. Instead, Gill appeared quite timid and awkward while he was in the center.
"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," Manjrekar added.
Gill’s clash with Crawley had a lasting impact on the third Test, igniting England’s intensity with the ball. The visitors came out all guns blazing, unsettling India’s top order early. Ben Stokes led from the front with two marathon spells, while Jofra Archer landed crucial blows on Day 5. Despite a gritty rearguard effort from Ravindra Jadeja and the tail, India fell 22 runs short of the 193-run target.
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