Sunil Gavaskar shuts down England's loud talk: Why didn't you declare earlier?
Despite India's declaration setting a challenging target of 608 runs in Birmingham, England fell short by 336 runs. Gavaskar dismissed their earlier confidence as mere 'loud talk,' underscoring the gap between their rhetoric and on-field performance.Sunil Gavaskar calls out England's "loud talk" #SonySportsNetwork #ENGvIND #NayaIndia #DhaakadIndia #TeamIndia #ExtraaaInnings pic.twitter.com/b06op1KAUY— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) July 29, 2025'One question that comes up is whether England batted too long before declaring. When India gave England over 600 runs to chase at Birmingham, some of the England players said later in the press conference that they were actually scared. That's why they ended up giving us more than 600 runs,' Gavaskar told the broadcasters. 'But I remember reading earlier that while they were in India, England players had said, 'Give us 600 plus runs, or anything really—we'll chase it.' But that was just bravado. In the end, they fell short by 336 runs. So, it was just a bit of loud talk,' Gavaskar said. 'Now, if Shubman Gill were at the media conference, I'd like him to ask: Why did you take a lead of 311? Why weren't you happy with a lead of around 240 or 250 after Stokes got his hundred? Why didn't you declare earlier and give your bowlers an extra hour or an hour and a half to try and take more wickets? I hope he asks that. Though I know he probably won't - he's too nice a guy,' Gavaskar added. Having already lost the chance of winning the series, India have a chance to draw level when the fifth and final Test gets underway on Thursday, July 31 at the Kennington Oval in London. - EndsMust Watch
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