Virat Kohli namedropped; Sanjay Manjrekar doubts Shubman Gill's commitment for team India

Former batter Sanjay Manjrekar made a huge statement on Shubman Gill ahead of Day 5 (Monday, July 14) of the third Test between England and India. The cricketer-turned-commentator name-dropped former India captains Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni after Gill's second consecutive failure in the Test.

England were dismissed for 192 in their second innings. The Ben Stokes-led team set a target of 193 for India to win the third Test. In response, India struggled with the bat and ended Day 4 on 58 for 4, leaving the match evenly balanced heading into the final day.

They lost Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill, and nightwatchman Akash Deep. Gill, who had been under pressure, managed just six runs before being trapped lbw by Brydon Carse with a delivery that came back in sharply after pitching.

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Shubman Gill Must Decide What Gets the Best Out of Him - Sanjay Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar said that Shubman Gill looked unsettled at the crease after facing sledging from England. Manjrekar compared Gill to Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni. He noted that Kohli delivered impressive performances under pressure, whereas Dhoni preferred calm.

Manjrekar added that Gill must now determine whether composure or aggression helps him perform at his best. He made his remarks in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Monday morning.

“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 tweeted.

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Shubman Gill Remains the Series' Top Scorer Despite Twin Failures in Lord's Test

Brydon Carse consistently troubled Shubman Gill during his over and was eventually rewarded with the prized wicket.

Before the series, questions were raised about Gill’s ability to perform in SENA countries as a Test captain. However, he showed improvement in his red-ball game and silenced critics. Gill remains the series' top scorer with 607 runs in three matches at an exceptional average of 101.16.

The twin failures at Lord’s have sparked fresh debate about his temperament under pressure. With 135 runs still needed and six wickets in hand, Pant will be crucial on the final day. Pant is the second-leading run-getter with 416 runs in five innings at an average of 83.2.

Gill Was Beaten Four Times - Sanjay Manjrekar

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Sanjay Manjrekar said that Gill has been in superb form throughout the series, but the aggression from the England players may have unsettled the Indian captain.

Gill had a heated exchange with Zak Crawley on Day 3 regarding slowing down play. Manjrekar added that the incident likely affected Gill’s mindset, which led to his lack of fluency in the final session.

"He (Shubman Gill) was beaten four times and he hadn't been beaten that many times in the whole series. I am sure that atleast at this stage of his career, despite a short sample size, what happened on the evening of Day 3 has to be the reason why he looked so tentative in this final session," Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo.

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