
Aggression not for everyone: Shubman Gill needs his own voice, not mimic Virat Kohli
This may be a hot take, but the only reason to suggest Gill isn't actively trying to replicate Kohli is that his game might be suffering as a result. Yes, it's entertaining to be the one dishing it out, but when you're on the receiving end of verbal jabs, it's a different game altogether. That's what made Kohli so great: he thrived in the fire. But that style isn't for everyone, and perhaps not for Gill.Before his first Test as captain, Gill had stated that he didn't want to copy anyone's style, instead focusing on being his own man. But is that truly the case?Gill has certainly been more confrontational, a shift from the composed figure we've seen over most of his career. This change should serve as a wake-up call. Opposition players, as Ben Stokes demonstrated on the final day at Lord's, are more than happy to return the favour.Even the great Virender Sehwag, one of India's finest batters, initially struggled with trying to model himself after Sachin Tendulkar. But once he embraced his own identity, he flourished. The parallels for Gill are clear — and perhaps instructive.GILL'S HOSTILE TACTICS BACKFIRED? Former cricketers Sanjay Manjrekar and Mohammad Kaif, in hindsight, both suggested that Gill's approach — especially his verbal duel with Zak Crawley on Day 3 — might have worked against him.'Gill suddenly looking tentative last evening had a lot to do with the hostility he got at the crease from England. Virat performed better, the angrier he got. Dhoni is the exact opposite. Gill must decide what gets the best out of him as a batter — calmness or anger,' Manjrekar posted on X.'Shubman Gill's fight with Zak Crawley charged England. After Edgbaston, there were questions about their batting, bowling and captaincy. But that incident fired up Stokes, and he bowled an inspiring spell. It is wise to stick to the attitude that works for you. Gill will learn this the hard way,' Kaif echoed.'What would have fired him up in this game was the Indian team targeting Zak Crawley in that one over,' Broad said on Sky Sports Cricket. 'It was great fun, brilliant to watch, but he wouldn't have liked the fact that one of his players was out there alone, with just Ben Duckett for company, and the team going at him'. advertisementGill however, defended himself and suggested that those few minutes of play cannot determine an entire Test match. Instead he pointed out other moments that could have turned the result in their favour. 'No, five minutes can't define five days of hard work. If you ask me about key moments, that wouldn't even be in my top five. For us, Rishabh's run-out was more crucial. At one point, we felt we could get a 50–100 run lead, which would've been massive on Day 5 when batting gets tough. That was a big turning point," Gill said at the post-match press conference. Only time will tell if Gill can carve out his own identity as a Test captain. Since taking over, he has looked eager to take England head-on a trait that could either define or derail this early chapter of his leadership.With two Tests still to play, Gill has the chance to quiet his critics, including me. A series win would put many of these concerns to rest. One thing, however, is clear: this Indian Test team is full of fighters. The challenge for Gill is not to become someone else, but to channel that fight in a way that stays true to who he really is.- EndsTune InMust Watch

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The Hindu
20 minutes ago
- The Hindu
World University Games: Ankita bags women's 3000m steeplechase silver, men's 4x100m relay team takes bronze
Steeplechaser Ankita Dhyani came up with a blistering run to clinch silver in the gruelling 3000m event with a personal-best time of 9:31.99 seconds, while the men's 4x100m relay quartet bagged a bronze as Indian athletes ended their campaign in the World University Games on Sunday (July 27, 2025). The trio of Munita Prajapati, Mansi Negi, and Sejal Singh finished third to take the bronze in women's 20km team racewalk on the concluding day. India ended their campaign with two gold, five silver and five bronze in the showpiece event. On a day when several Indian athletes were in contention in track events, but could bag only two medals, 23-year-old Ankita, a second-year social sciences student, shaved nearly seven seconds from her personal best time of 9:39.00 seconds to finish a few milliseconds behind Finland's Ilona Maaria Mononen, who timed 9:31.86. Adia Budde of Germany took the bronze, clocking 9:33.34 seconds. On Friday, Ankita had topped Heat 1 by clocking 9:54.79 seconds and secured her place in the final. It was a massive 22-second improvement, which propelled Ankita to second place in the competitive race. Ankita remained in the top-five through most of the race and came up with a breathtaking sprint in the final 300 metres to almost catch up with the German before missing the gold by just 0.13 seconds. The men's 4x100m relay team, comprising Lalu Prasad Bhoi, Animesh Kujur, Manikanta Hoblidhar and Mrutyam Jayaram, clocked 38.89 seconds to take the bronze. South Korea took the gold in 38.50 seconds, while South Africa (38.80) bagged the silver. The Indian women's 4x400m relay team came up with a season's best time of 3:35.08 seconds, but it was not good enough for a medal, as the quartet of Anakha Bijukumar, Devyaniba Zala, Rashdeep Kaur and Rupal finished fifth, clocking 3:35.08 seconds. The German team, despite a poor reaction time, won the gold with a time of 3:29.68 seconds. The Indian men's 4x400m relay quartet of Vishal Kayalvizhi, Aswin Lakshmanan, Jerome Jayaseelan Panimaya and Balakrishna finished fifth, clocking 3: Poland won the gold with a time of 3:03.64. Indian race walkers had a dismal showing, with none of them finishing in the top-10 in the men's and women's sections, though a few came up with personal or season best timings. However, the trio of Munita, Mansi, and Sejal finished third to take the bronze in women's 20km team racewalk. Sejal came up with a personal best of 1:35:21 seconds to finish 15th, with the gold going to Australia's Elizabeth McMillen in a WUG record time of 1:28:18 seconds. Munita (1:39:33) was 18th, Mansi (1:41:12) was 20th, Shalini (1:48:07) 23rd, and Mahima (1:55.49) 25th. In men's 20km racewalk, Rahul clocked a season's best 1:26:34 seconds but finished 20th in the men's 20km race walk final with the gold going to Andrea Cosi of Italy with a World University Games record of 1:19:48 seconds. Gaurav Kumar (1:28:44) was 25th, Sachin Singh Bohra (1:32:03) 28th and Sanjay Kumar (1:46:21) finished last among 31 competitors. Pole vaulter Dev Kumar Meena (5.35m) settled for a fifth-place finish in the final with the gold going to Simen Guttormsen (5.75m) of Norway. India's medal winners: Gold - Parneet Kaur/Kushal Dalal (mixed team compound archery), Sahil Jadhav (men's compound archery). Silver - Parneet Kaur (women's compound archery), Kushal Dalal/Sahil Jadhav/Hritik Sharma (men's team compound archery), Praveen Chithravel (men's triple jump), Seema (women's 5000m), Ankita Dhyani (women's 3000m steeplechase). Bronze - Badminton mixed team, Vaishnavi Adkar (women's singles tennis), Parneet Kaur/Avneet Kaur/Madhura Dhamangaonkar (women's compound team archery), Sejal Singh, Munita Prajapati, Mansi Negi (women's 20km racewalk team), men's 4x100m relay.


The Hindu
20 minutes ago
- The Hindu
ENG vs IND, fourth Test: Jadeja, Washington refuse Ben Stokes' offer to call off match before start of mandatory overs
Drama unfolded in the high-intensity Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in Manchester on Sunday (July 27, 2025) after Indian batters Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar refused England skipper Ben Stokes' offer to call off the fourth Test and settle for a draw before the start of the final hour of play. There is a provision that allows both captains to shake hands and agree to a draw if they feel that the possibility of a result is impossible. Having worked hard to earn a creditable draw, Jadeja and Washington, batting on 89 and 80 respectively, refused Stokes' offer after he had approached the umpire, which irked the England skipper no end. With both approaching their hundreds after having saved the match for India who started their second innings 311 runs in arrears, Jadeja and Washington exercised their rights to continue batting. India coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Shubman Gill backed the decision to carry on batting. "If someone is batting on 90 and the other one is batting on 85, don't they deserve a hundred? Would they have walked off if someone from England's side would have been batting on 90 or 85? "If someone has the opportunity to get his first Test hundred, won't you allow him to do it? They weathered the storm. It's up to them," Gambhir said at the post-match press conference. "If they want to play that way, that's up to them. I've got nothing more to say. I think both those guys deserved a hundred, and fortunately they got it." On his part, Gill said, "It was up to the boys and both of them were in their 90s, they deserved to score centuries." In the field of play earlier, Stokes had a few words to say as Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett were also seen enquiring as to why India wanted to carry on. "Do you want to score a hundred against Harry Brook?" Stokes asked sarcastically and all Jadeja said was "I can't do anything." Stokes said later, "We took the game as far as we could. As soon as draw looked inevitable, I wasn't going to risk my bowlers with the short turnaround (time of three days before the start of fifth Test)." Amid the drama, a smiling Jadeja maintained his grace and ticked the English players off as India, as per rules, were well within their rights to carry on batting. In what seemed like a mark of protest, Stokes introduced Harry Brook into the attack and Jadeja hit him for a six to complete his third Test hundred. However, England team's poor attitude was at the forefront as they started bowling proverbial long hops or "donkey drops" as a mark of protest.
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First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Steely determination of Indian batting lineup runs England ragged at Old Trafford, keeps Test series alive
This England side 'don't do draws' – indeed this is the first of the Bazball era that hasn't involved two solid days of rain – but they were forced to at Old Trafford, slowly ground into stalemate by the relentless determination of India's rearguard. read more The Indian and English teams shook hands for a draw soon as Washington Sundar brought up his maiden international hundred on the final day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Manchester. Reuters The great escape is complete, the series still live. From a first innings deficit of 311 India have done what was once unthinkable, that right now feels a lot more like a win. This England side 'don't do draws' – indeed this is the first of the Bazball era that hasn't involved two solid days of rain – but they were forced to at Old Trafford, slowly ground into stalemate by the relentless determination of India's rearguard. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD At lunch on Day Four India were so far behind the game that to say they were dead and buried almost felt like understatement. They had conceded 669 – the most runs any side has scored in an innings at Old Trafford – and then for good measure lost two wickets inside the first over of their reply. That though was counting against the steely determination of this India batting lineup that, even shorn of Rishabh Pant, defied the odds to pull off a draw that by the end had them running England ragged. Floodgates remain shut despite Gill and Rahul's early dismissals While the groundwork was laid on Day Four – KL Rahul and Shubman Gill's monumental 174-run partnership moved the needle for the tourists from 'certain defeat' to 'in with a chance of a draw' – India still arrived on the final day with England strong favourites to seal a series-clinching win. For all that Rahul and Gill had resisted the England onslaught there was a sense that should both men be removed then the floodgates might open for a home side boosted by the assistance of a final day pitch. Rahul and Gill did both fall before lunch, an outcome England would gladly have accepted before the start of play, the proverbial floodgates however remained firmly closed. England pacer Jofra Archer celebrates as India captain Shubman Gill departs shortly after completing his century on the final day of the fourth Test in Manchester. Reuters A lot has been made of India's team selection throughout this series, they have opted in every Test to try and have it both ways, bolstering both batting and bowling departments with the deployment of all rounders, instead of perhaps committing more wholeheartedly to the strengthening of one – selecting the wicket taking talents of Kuldeep Yadav for example. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Here though, at the fourth time of asking, that strategy came good, the batting depth provided by the selection of Washington Sundar – even more so in the absence of Pant – a crucial cog in India's dramatic escape. At lunch on the final day India were 223/4, still over 100 runs behind and with only five batsmen left – or six if you included the one-legged Pant, whose participation was far from guaranteed – a large proportion of which comprised India's somewhat vertiginous tail. Jadeja and Sundar resist everything England throw at them Sundar and Jadeja were however unbowed, able to resist everything England threw at them, as well as any final day unpleasantness from the pitch, to secure a result that had seemed beyond them for most of this Test. England may look back and rue one moment in particular – Jadeja dropped first ball by Joe Root at first slip – agonisingly unable to cling on at first, second or even third attempt, as the left hander flashed at a delivery from Jofra Archer. But that chance aside England struggled to really threaten. Even with the assistance of the pitch Liam Dawson looked largely innocuous – only 11 men have bowled as many overs as him in the fourth innings of a game and conceded more runs – and Ben Stokes aside England's pacemen struggled to create any meaningful jeopardy for the visitors. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Scored a hundred, saved the Test, farmed ♾ aura! 💁♂#RavindraJadeja didn't hesitate, till the end 👀#ENGvIND 👉 5th TEST | Starts THU, 31st July, 2:30 PM | Streaming on JioHotstar! — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 27, 2025 Ultimately England were so cowed they attempted to shake hands on a draw at the earliest moment possible, but India with Sundar and Jadeja both looking to notch a Test match hundred batted on – the hosts reduced to bowling Harry Brook as the game drew to a close. Both men would make hundreds, a first in Tests for Washington Sundar, their unbroken partnership of 203 had rescued a draw for India and rendered next week's clash at The Oval all to play for. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD