Shubman Gill's fitting tribute to Rohit Sharma: Will remember your learnings forever
Shubman Gill Instagram Story (Source: Shubman Gill Instagram)
Rohit and Gill opened together for 18 innings in Tests and scored 611 runs together at an average of 35.94, stitching four half-century partnerships. Their highest partnership of 74 came against Australia in Sydney during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21. There was a time when Gill was enduring poor form in Tests after his initial success in 2020-21.advertisementHowever, he got the backing from Rohit Sharma during the England series in 2024 and repaid the faith by finishing as the second-highest run scorer of the rubber with 452 runs from nine innings at an average of 56.50. Meanwhile, following Rohit's retirement, Gill is being seen as his successor as the skipper of the Test format. The 25-year-old has played 32 matches and scored 1893 runs at an average of 35.05.Gill has the experience of leading Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and is enjoying a golden run in the ongoing season as they comfortably sit at the top of the table with 16 points from 11 matches.Stay updated on IPL 2025 with India Today! Get match schedules, team squads, live score, and the latest IPL points table for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Plus, keep track of the top contenders for the IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap. Don't miss a moment!
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The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
The Bumrah connundrum — When to play him or when not to
Ben Stokes spent nearly every single one of the 63 overs India batted on day four of the fourth Test at Old Trafford on the field of play. At various stages during that phase, as the visitors battled desperately to erase a first-innings deficit of 311, he was sorely tempted to mark his run-up and get cracking, but England's mercurial captain simply couldn't. Because he had been expressly forbidden from doing so. Stokes watched with mounting frustration as K.L. Rahul and Shubman Gill rescued their side from the depths of 0 for 2 in the first over to reach stumps at 174 without further damage. It was a no-brainer that, the following morning, the third-wicket pair would encounter the Stokes challenge. Unsurprisingly, Stokes bowled the final day's second over. And the fourth. And the sixth… After each ball, he grimaced. He clutched at the inside of his right shoulder, near his bicep. He darted towards cover, pain writ large on his face. He created a chance that Ollie Pope put down at cover to reprieve Gill, on 80. He produced a nasty in-ducker that stayed low and trapped Rahul plumb in front for 90, the opener nearly 'walking' without waiting for the umpire's signal before being persuaded by his partner to requisition a futile review. He then struck Gill, on 90, flush on his helmet via the right thumb with a snorter that took off from nowhere. Braving pain This was supposed to be a dead fifth day track in Manchester – as India's final tally of 425 for four which earned them a stellar draw will testify to – but clearly, no one had told Stokes that. Or, if they had, he hadn't listened. Setting extreme physical discomfort aside, he delivered a spell of 8-2-12-1, phenomenal, other-worldly, the pain barrier shattered. But Stokes would bowl only three more overs over the remaining four and a half hours, opting to preserve himself for the last Test once it became apparent that only a heavy-duty crane could pluck one of Ravindra Jadeja or Washington Sundar out from the middle. But not even Stokes, mighty Stokes, superhero Stokes, could buck medical advice ahead of the Oval Test. Scans on his troublesome shoulder revealed a grade three muscle tear that needed at least six weeks of rest. Stokes briefly weighed up the odds of playing merely as a batter, then decided that on the risk versus reward scale, he would be selling himself and his team short. And therefore, he watched helplessly from the balcony as India rallied to pull off a memorable six-run win to bring the curtains down on one of the greatest Test series in recent memory. Joining Stokes on the sidelines for the epic at the Oval, also on medical advice, was a gifted pacer from the opposition universally hailed as the most feared bowler in the world. Just as watching Stokes going through a spell is fascinating, seeing Jasprit Bumrah stitch together an over, a spell, is extraordinarily fulfilling. Every ball holds the promise of an event, of a spectacle, of a slice of magic that is quintessentially Bumrah. It could be a pinpoint yorker, a beautifully disguised slower one, an away-swinger to the right-hander that goes away late and is delivered with the same action as an inswinger, a less-frequently-used (which makes it more effective) short ball that spits nastily. All with a snappy wrist and therefore pronounced backspin which, combined with his hyperextended right elbow, makes him every batter's worst nightmare. There was a huge clamour for Bumrah to play in the series decider, in a manner of speaking, even though he had played the three Tests that he was supposed to figure in by then. Going into the Oval, India couldn't win the series, but they had a great chance to leave England with honours shared for the second successive tour. It was obvious this would be the liveliest surface of the five, that Bumrah would be more lethal than he had been in the preceding 19 months. And boy, was he lethal during that period. From the beginning of 2024, in 17 Tests and 32 innings, Bumrah had racked up 87 wickets at the incredible average of 16.74. He picked up a scalp every 33.5 deliveries – that's roughly six and a half overs per success. Even by his lofty standards, that was remarkable; Bumrah boasts 219 wickets in 48 Tests overall at 19.82 and 42.6 respectively. To comfortably overshadow already exceptional career figures after undergoing back surgery was tribute not just to his skills but also his commitment to the cause, and to the constant upscaling of his skillsets that already are second to none. To contemplate the mayhem Bumrah would unleash at the Oval boggled the mind. He had a very capable attack to support him, not least Mohammed Siraj who would eventually play the key role. All Bumrah had to do was turn up and do this thing; he didn't have to go flat out because the conditions would be his ally. In theory, all this added up quite beautifully. But cricket, like all sports, is anything but a theoretical exercise. Contrary to popular perception, Bumrah did volunteer to play at the Oval. He didn't make it seem like a great virtue or a favour to the side; he knew he would make a difference, but his desire to play had to be validated by the medical experts who know his body almost as well as, if not better than, the protagonist himself. The advice was that he could play, provided he didn't overstretch, which translated to him not bowling more than a specific number of overs. That didn't fly with the Gujarat pacer – he couldn't go into a game with one hand tied behind his back. In the heat of the battle, mundane things like a blanket figure on the number of overs he could bowl, and no more, couldn't be a factor. But the medical team was clear that if he didn't heed their inputs, he left himself open to the possibility of irreparable long-term damage to his back. It was in these circumstances that Bumrah had to sit himself out, most reluctantly, because in his mind, he was clear – all or nothing, no half-measures. It's easy to sit back and pontificate on what Bumrah should or should not have done. But it is also fair to ruminate over the impossible predicament of Gill, a first-time captain who was forced to operate without his primary attacking weapon for 40% of the series. Which brings us to the contentious matter of what India do with Bumrah. There is no denying the value the 31-year-old brings to the table. Are India a stronger side with Bumrah in the playing XI? Without a shadow of doubt. Just his mere presence is a morale-booster for his colleagues; it also triggers waves of self-doubt, uncertainty and anxious nervousness in the minds of the opposition. It's all fine to state that since Bumrah seldom bowls more than five overs in a single spell, it is reasonably straightforward for batters to 'see' him off and then milk the rest. If that were the case, how does one explain 87 wickets in his last 17 Tests, strike-rate 33.5? How did he court so much success if the batters knew the pattern of Bumrah's usage in this period, by Rohit Sharma, by Bumrah himself in the two Tests that he was in charge of in Australia over the winter, and then by Gill? But that's only one half of the story. The other, undeniable half, backed up by statistics rather than subjective analysis, is that India have won only one of the last eight overseas Tests in which Bumrah has played – in Perth last November. Both their triumphs in England came in his absence – Siraj and Akash Deep combined for 17 wickets in Birmingham when the visitors registered a record 336-run win in Birmingham last month, while Siraj and Prasidh Krishna took the same number of wickets at the Oval last week. Bumrah did take five-wicket hauls in two of the three first innings, in Leeds and at Lord's, but neither counted for much in the final analysis. Most crucially, Bumrah's now-on, now-off avatar, even if not of his own volition, left Gill with an unsettled bowling group. Constancy in selection and consistency in personnel are key ingredients to forging a successful entity. Because Bumrah would not be able to play all matches – a non-negotiable pre-series development as opposed to a mid-series conundrum sparked by an unforeseen injury – Gill was denied that bare minimum requirement. It couldn't have been easy for the skipper to marshall his troops under these circumstances, something that must be factored in when he is judged as a leader. In so many ways, what's best for Bumrah (and that can't be overlooked, ever) isn't necessarily best for India, and therein lies the problem. How do India handle the Bumrah imbroglio going forward? Things aren't likely to change, the cap on the number of overs/matches when it comes to Bumrah is certain to remain in place. Every time India play a series for which he is selected, the 'how many games?' question is certain to rear its head. Will that be a distraction, as it was at various stages in England? How will Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir view this vexing long-term issue? And how long will Bumrah himself be able to reconcile to not being able to walk alongside his teammates game after game even though he is fit and available for selection? India don't travel for a Test series outside the subcontinent until November next year. Fifteen months is a long, long time in any endeavour, not least professional sport; India can get by with limited Bumrah time at home (against West Indies and South Africa) and a year hence (in Sri Lanka). But in New Zealand next year, in their last overseas league engagement in the current World Test Championship cycle? Ah well, 15 months is a long time, isn't it?
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
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India Today
3 hours ago
- India Today
AUS vs SA: Tim David fireworks, Josh Hazlewood heroics give Australia 1-0 lead
Tim David's powerful 83 off 52 balls and Josh Hazlewood's key three-wicket haul helped Australia beat South Africa by 17 runs in the first T20I at Marrara Cricket Ground in Darwin. The win extended Australia's T20I winning streak to nine matches and gave them a 1-0 lead in the three-match vs South Africa, 1st T20I HighlightsAustralia batted first but started poorly, losing three early wickets for 30 runs in the first four overs. Cameron Green scored a quick 35 off 13 balls, but it was Tim David who held the innings together. His innings, featuring four boundaries and eight sixes, lifted Australia from 75 for six to a strong total of 178 all out. Kwena Maphaka was South Africa's best bowler, taking four wickets for 20 runs, while Kagiso Rabada took two."I think some respect has to be shown."Tim David #AUSvSA (@cricketcomau) August 10, 2025advertisement Chasing 179, South Africa started well with captain Aiden Markram hitting three boundaries before Hazlewood took his wicket. Ryan Rickelton scored a solid 71 off 55 balls and put on a good partnership with Tristan Stubbs, who made 37 off 27. But Hazlewood's two quick wickets in the 15th over turned the game towards Dwarshuis also bowled well, taking three wickets for 26 runs, and Adam Zampa picked up two more to break South Africa's lower order. The visitors fell from 120 for three to 161 for nine, losing six wickets for 41 runs in 34 as South Africa started building serious momentum, Josh Hazlewood pulls out two wickets!#AUSvSA (@cricketcomau) August 10, 2025Tim David was named Player of the Match for his match-winning innings. Hazlewood's tight bowling at the end, conceding just 27 runs in four overs, was also vital in securing the second T20I will be at the same ground on Tuesday, August 12, with South Africa needing a quick recovery to stay in the ScoresAustralia: 178 all out in 20 overs. Tim David (83), Cameron Green (35); Kwena Mapakha (4/20)South Africa: 161/9 in 20 overs. Ryan Rickelton (71), Tristan Stubbs (37); Ben Dwarshuis (3/26), Josh Hazlewood (3/27)Result: Australia beat South Africa by 17 runs- EndsMust Watch
