Star India batter Shubman Gill and England middle-order batter Jonny Bairstow had a heated exchange during the fifth and final Test between both sides at Dharamshala on Saturday.
On Day three, England’s ageless pace wonder James Anderson had become the first pacer ever to reach 700 Test wickets. One of his two victims during India’s first innings was Gill, who had scored a fine century, concluding what could be a breakthrough Test series after a string of low scores on a high.
Just before Gill had reached his century, he exchanged some words with the 41-year-old pacer.
When asked in the post-day press conference, Gill had said as quoted by Wisden on his exchange with Anderson, ” I think it would be better for both of us to keep that chat in private.”
When Jonny came out to bat during England’s second innings when they were tasked with cutting down a lead of 259 runs by India, Bairstow tried to enquire Gill about what he said to Anderson during their exchange.
The 24-year-old batter boldly revealed that he told Anderson to retire. When Bairstow tried to remind Gill that Anderson got him soon after the exchange, the subject of conversations turned to centuries made during the series, where Gill had an upper hand over Bairstow, scoring two centuries as compared to none by the English batter.
Here is how the conversation went:
Jonny Bairstow: “What did you say to Jimmy about him retiring?”
Shubman Gill: “I told him he should retire”
Bairstow: “And then he got you out next ball?”
Gill: “So what? How many times has…”
Bairstow: “I was just asking”
Gill: “He can get me out after my 100”
Bairstow: “100 per cent”
Gill: “How many 100s (do you have) this series?”
Bairstow: “How many have you scored, full stop?”
Both the players were trying to get under each others’ skins during a crucial point in the match and the trick went in India’s favour as just four balls later Kuldeep Yadav trapped Bairstow leg-before wicket for 39 in 31 balls and England went on to lose the game by an innings and 64 runs.
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Gill had a fine series with the bat, ending as the second-highest run-getter with 452 runs in nine innings at an average of 56.5, with two centuries and two fifties. His best score was 110.
Bairstow on the other hand flopped big time, managing just 238 runs in 10 innings at an average of 23.8, with the best score of 39.