During Day 3 of the fifth Test match at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, tensions rose as Indian batters Shubman Gill, Sarfaraz Khan, wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, and England batter Jonny Bairstow engaged in a heated exchange. This marked the first instance of serious sledging between Indian and English cricketers in the otherwise amicable series. The incident occurred in the morning session on Saturday as Bairstow, celebrating his 100th Test, aimed to build a partnership with Joe Root amidst England’s struggles.
Gill, Jurel , Sarfu vs Bairstow🤣🍿#IndVsEng #ShubmanGillpic.twitter.com/4ZH9vIEIzH
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With Rohit Sharma absent from the field due to a stiff back, Jasprit Bumrah took charge as India’s captain during the match. He entrusted first-innings standout Kuldeep Yadav with the ball after Ravichandran Ashwin had already put India in a dominant position. As Kuldeep Yadav prepared to deliver his first ball in the 18th over of England’s second innings, stump microphones captured Jonny Bairstow engaging in banter with Shubman Gill, who was stationed in the slip cordon.
Bairstow jestingly recalled to Gill how Anderson had bowled him out cleanly on Day 2, following a playful exchange between Gill and the England veteran. Gill promptly retorted, mentioning it had occurred only after he had surpassed his century. Additionally, Gill took a playful jab at Bairstow for his comparatively subdued performance in the series. Dhruv Jurel intervened, attempting to pacify Bairstow, while Sarfaraz, positioned at forward short leg, swiftly joined in the banter after Kuldeep delivered his first ball.
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Jonny Bairstow: “What did you say to Jimmy (Anderson) about retiring or getting dropped and he got you out after that?”
Shubman Gill: “So what, it was after my 100. He can get me out after a 100. how many (runs) have you got here?”
Jonny Bairstow: “How many you scored when the ball swung?”
Dhruv Jurel: “Jonny bhai easy!”
Sarfaraz Khan: “Thode se runs kya bana diya, jyada uchal raha hain (scored a few runs today and jumping too much).”
Gill opted to maintain confidentiality regarding his conversation with Anderson after the conclusion of play on Day 2. “I think it would be better for both of us to keep that chat between us,” Shubman conveyed to broadcasters following the match.
The sledging incident took an ironic turn for Bairstow. Just three balls later, Kuldeep produced a sharp-turning delivery that caught Bairstow plumb in front of the stumps. As Bairstow made his way off the field, he exchanged a few words once more with Gill, who didn’t hesitate to respond in kind.
India managed to add only four runs to their overnight score, concluding their innings at 477 in response to England’s 218.
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