
Battle of styles, battle for survival: Shubman Gill and Ben Stokes brace for Manchester showdown
TimesofIndia.com in Manchester: Three Tests, six innings, and the series has already seen monumental efforts by both captains. If it was
Shubman Gill
with the bat at Edgbaston, it was
Ben Stokes
with his long spells at Lord's, helping their respective teams to Test wins.
Two individuals in the hot seat have little in common, but they share one common drive — to lead from the front.
One is 34, the other is 25. One has seen a lot as a leader, while the other is taking baby steps into his new role. One is obsessed with a certain way of playing Test
cricket
, while the other is obsessed with batting and is navigating his way through what is his maiden assignment as captain. There's very little in common, but both are chasing an important moment in their respective careers, standing at contrasting junctures, and a Manchester win stands in their way.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
SUBSCRIBE NOW!
The series win would give Stokes the assurance that his methods still tick, while victory for India would do a world of good for Gill, who has struggled with player availability and injuries in his first series as a captain. It's all to play for from July 23 at the Old Trafford cricket ground. The series is on the line for the visitors, while the hosts have a bright opportunity to deliver the knockout blow.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Dubai's Next Icon: Experience Binghatti Aquarise Luxury
Binghatti Developers FZE
Learn More
Undo
On the eve of the game, very little cricketing activity was possible due to consistent rain, and the press conferences of the two captains turned out to be the only talking point. Stokes spoke at length about his workload, England's approach, sledging the opponents, and the makeup of their XI. Gill, in a much shorter interaction, was very precise and took a nice parting jibe.
Very like Stokes, but very unlike Gill. That's how the two media sessions unfolded, but a lot of 'unlike Gill' things have happened in the series so far.
The brush with captaincy has certainly flipped the intensity switch in Gill, and he has been far more in-your-face over the last month than he has been in his entire career. The youngster said the challenges of captaincy have been more mental than physical, but he continued to hold his ground on his side's theatrics during those dramatic six minutes at Lord's on Day 3.
Poll
Who do you think will lead their team to victory in the upcoming Test match in Manchester?
Shubman Gill
Ben Stokes
Draw
Too close to call
"The English batsmen on that day had 7 minutes of play left.
They were 90 seconds late to come to the crease. Not 10, not 20 but 90 seconds late. Even if we were in that position, we would have also liked to play fewer overs. But there is a manner to do it. And we felt, yes, if you get hit on your body, the physios are allowed to come on, and that is something that is fair. But to be able to come 90 seconds late to the crease is not something that I would think comes in the spirit of the game," said Gill, while throwing punches at the opposition, which has upped the chatter on sledging and verbal volleys.
Not long before Gill's comments, Stokes mentioned that while they would not initiate any chatter, they would not take a "backward step" when tension rises in the middle.
"It's not something that we're going to purposely go out and look to start again, because then that will take our focus off what we actually need to do out in the middle. But by no means are we going to take a backward step and let any opposition try and be confrontational towards us, and not try to give a bit back.
I think that goes for most teams, to be honest. So it's not like we're the only team who does that," said Stokes.
Shubman Gill explosive press conference: Hits back at England and big revelation on India Playing XI
The series is very well placed at the moment, and while India would be disappointed to see the 1-2 scoreline, it's not a reflection of the kind of cricket they have played so far. The scoreline could well have been 2-1 in their favour, if not 3-0, and Manchester will be a stiff test for the depleted bunch to throw the right punches and keep the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy alive before the caravan moves to London for the final Test.
Gill has had a fantastic run with the bat, looked tactically very sound, and Stokes was back to doing Stokes things with his marathon spells and signs of returning to form with the bat. The two captains will be at it for the next five days, chasing the same goal, one with far bigger implications for their, and their teams', futures.
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Indian Express
19 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Steve Smith on Ashes: ‘England batters are going to be challenged'
Six months before the Ashes Down Under, Australia's Steve Smith has sounded out a warning to England. Talking to BBC on the sidelines of The Hundred, he said. 'Their batters are going to be challenged a little bit differently to the wickets they have had over in England for a while, which have looked pretty flat and good for batting.' For instance, in India's tour to Australia last year, only three batsmen scored a hundred, whereas Shubman Gill alone registered three in the series against England. This comes after swelling criticism that the pitches in the Brendon McCullum-Ben Stokes era had been bereft of typical English characteristics, like moisture-laden surfaces that propitiate swing in the first hour of each day. Surfaces have tended to last all five days with the surface not deteriorating dramatically. 'But the wickets in Australia in the last three or four years have been very tricky for top order batters. It is going to be a good challenge for them,' Smith fired a salvo. However, Australia batting is far from formidable. They have not yet pencilled in on an opening partner to Usman Khawaja, who himself is riding a trough. There is an uncertainty for the No 3 slot, where Cameron Green has not quite prospered, managing only one fifty-plus score in eight outings. 'If you can get lateral movement at 83 to 85 (mph), I think you'll bowl Australia out. I saw that in the World Test Championship final,' Michael Vaughan too observed recently. 'If we're honest, there are only two or three players from both sides that can play forward defences properly. If you can challenge the forward defence with a bit of lateral movement, it's no surprise you see clusters of wickets fall when England or Australia are batting when the ball is moving around a bit, because they play the expansive game and not many of them have the basics of playing forward defence and seeing the ball off. That's the modern game,' he had said. But Smith, who averages 56.01 in Tests against England, anticipates a wonderful series. 'But it's going to be a wonderful series. I have been watching the India and England series and there has been some great cricket played there, so I think the Ashes this year is going to be an absolute belter,' he said. He has also noticed the different gears England had shown in the series against India. Rather than full-throttle Bazball, they have played according to the situation. 'They have started to play a little bit differently in the last couple of weeks in terms of playing the situation, as opposed to going out and trying to be the entertainers that they said they wanted to be. They are actually trying to win the games now which is perhaps different to what was said in their comments previously,' he said. Looking beyond, he expressed his desire to feature in the LA Olympics. 'I decided to stop playing one-day cricket so I can play more franchises, with the aim to make the Olympic team. So to play more shorter-form tournaments around the world is only going to be beneficial. It has been a long run for me and I have been doing this a long time. I am still enjoying it and particularly the shorter formats, and want to keep putting my name out there,' he said.

New Indian Express
22 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
India in England: Crawley and Duckett put hosts in control after Day 2
MANCHESTER: Amid all the heroics of Rishabh Pant, who walked out to bat and hit a half-century despite a fractured foot, other India batters and bowlers did not live up to their expectations on Day 2 of the fourth Test here at the Old Trafford Stadium on Thursday conceding advantage to England by the end of day's play. Despite being asked to bat in overcast conditions on the opening day, the India batters did well to post 264/4 at stumps and share honours with English bowlers. They, however, could add only 94 runs to their overnight total and were bowled out for a below par total of 358. England skipper Ben Stokes, who so far has a middling return with the bat, once again inspired the team with his five-for while Jofra Archer claimed three wickets to complete India's rout. With Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur unbeaten and all-rounder Washington Sundar in the dug-out, India were hoping to put a good total on the board when the play resumed. But with a new ball in their hands, English pacers started brilliantly, especially Jofra Archer, who had Jadeja in his first over of the day. The Saurashtra all-rounder could only add a solitary run to his overnight total as India suffered an early loss. Jadeja edged an incoming delivery from Archer which carried to second slip. Harry Brook had to dive to his right to complete the catch. Washington came in and added 48 runs with Thakur for the sixth wicket but Stokes broke the partnership bringing in Pant to the crease amid rousing reception from the spectators. Light drizzle forced an early lunch but the visitors lost wickets of Washington and Test debutant Anshul Kamboj quickly soon after the lunch leaving Pant with no option than looking for boundaries in his bid to add to the team's total. He apparently was not amused with the way Washington got out. The Tamil Nadu all-rounder hooked a short-pitched delivery from Stokes but was caught on the edge of the long leg boundary by Chris Woakes. Kamboj departed in the same over as Stokes produced an outstanding delivery that pitched on good length and seamed away with the batter getting a thin edge that was held comfortably by wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.


News18
27 minutes ago
- News18
'Reduces The Game To Farce': England Legend Fumes Over County Pitch
The former England and Somerset stalwart hammered the club for preparing a bizarre surface for what turned out to be a two-day contest against Durham. A shocking surface used for an English County Championship match by hosts Somerset against Durham attracted the wrath of England's former skipper and legendary all-rounder, Ian Botham. Botham took the Somerset County Cricket Club to task for preparing an 'appalling' pitch that played all sorts of tricks in an extraordinary two-day match up at Taunton. The great was left fuming over his old club after 35 wickets fell over just five sessions of play held at the Cooper Associates Ground, 22 of which went to the spinners, as Somerset wrapped up their victory by five wickets. Amidst talks of selectors and team management ignoring form and performances in the County Championship, the former Somerset stalwart cited the strange scenes in Taunton to back the decisions made by England's cricket director, Rob Key, and Test skipper Ben Stokes in recent times. 'As an ex-Somerset player, I find this appalling," Botham tweeted with the pictures of a surface that looked underprepared and doctored to suit Somerset's attack, with a few brown patches and loads of grass elsewhere. 'At a time when county cricket is under pressure for relevance as a breeding ground for international players and Somerset members have apparently voted for the status quo, the club produces this pitch. These are not first-class cricket conditions in mid-summer." Before a ball is bowled… As an ex Somerset player I find this appalling… at a time when County Cricket is under pressure for relevance as a breeding ground for InternationalPlayers and Somerset members have apparently voted for the status quo, the club produces this pitch.… — BeefyBotham (@BeefyBotham) July 23, 2025 'I am not surprised that Rob and Ben unfortunately, have to disregard county performances in assessing players for Test-quality appearances. Durham raised serious concerns the day before the game started. Change is needed. Both Somerset and Durham have high-quality batsmen. Somerset do not need to do this… reduces the game to a farce, added Botham, who represented Somerset in 176 first-class matches between 1974 and 1986. Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, Somerset unleashed their international seamer Craig Overton on the green carpet rolled out for Durham. Overton went on to take 6 for 23 to help dismiss the opposition for only 145. Tom Lammonby's critical 89 then became the only half-century of the first-class game, allowing Somerset to post 250 in response. The hosts later used their spin twins Jack Leach (6/63) and Archie Vaughan (4/85) to cut through Durham's batting line-up again for 190. While Callum Parkinson's four-fer gave them a scare, Somerset eventually eased to the target of 86 in the final innings at five wickets down. A Telegraph report suggests the surface in Taunton has been rated 'below average' by the match referee, Simon Hinks. Somerset could now be handed a penalty, with points deducted from their championship tally. view comments First Published: July 24, 2025, 23:13 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.