ENG vs IND 2025: 'He's standing up for his team' - Ricky Ponting backs Shubman Gill after Lord's outburst
“That's the captain standing up for his team, that's a captain really wanting to show that it's his team now and this is the way that we're going to play the game," said Ponting.
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Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting understood why Shubman Gill’s aggressive stance at Lord’s came as a surprise to many. Ponting explained that Gill was simply standing up for his team in a high-pressure situation. With the series tied 1-1 ahead of the Lord’s Test last week, the closely contested third Test between England and India featured plenty of on-field drama.
During the Lord’s Test, Indian top-order batter engaged in a war of words with England’s openers towards the end of the third day. India had just matched England’s first-innings total of 387 and were eager to squeeze in two overs during the final six minutes of play. However, Zak Crawley appeared to be running down the clock, which led to a heated exchange between him and Gill.
“That was a little out of character from what I've known from Shubman in the past. I am sure everyone that was there watching it and I know you would know him quite well, that's not what he's generally like,” Ponting told Sanjana Ganesan in The ICC Review.
“That's the captain standing up for his team, that's a captain really wanting to show that it's his team now and this is the way that we're going to play the game, and also, I guess, wanting to give a little bit back,” he added.
Ponting, who has played Test cricket in England across four separate tours, including twice as captain in 2005 and 2009, acknowledged that the pressure of such a high-profile series can weigh heavily on a skipper.
“The UK can be a hard place to play. The crowds, as much as they love their game, can be as hostile a place to play as anywhere in the world. The media there, when you're in a big series, when it's an Ashes series or when it's England and India, the media always feel like they're right on top of your back as well,” Ponting said.
The Australian legend also believes that, during the intense Test match, which India narrowly lost by just 22 runs, Gill needed to assert his presence among his teammates, much like former captain Virat Kohli did. With the series currently 2-1 in England’s favor, India will face England again in the fourth Test in Manchester, starting on July 23.
“I think that's him starting to put his stamp on his team. And a lot like Virat (Kohli) did, similar ways like that. Rohit (Sharma) probably was never as outwardly aggressive, I guess, especially to opposition players. I know he (Rohit) would quite often get aggressive with his teammates and try to bring the best out of them that way. But I love watching Shubman stand up for what he thought was right in the game last week,” Ponting concluded.
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