Manchester, July 23
It is actually a myth that cricket is a gentlemanly sport, with the spirit of the game at its very core. The truth is it is like any other sport where teams do anything to win. And yet, they keep mentioning the spirit of the game argument. More so, if the action takes place at Lord’s.
Listen to the English press conferences over the last two days, and you tend to think that the Indians are the only culprits who jumped on two innocent openers in Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, who weren’t really doing anything to provoke such aggression. To counter such roguish behaviour, the English were forced to turn hostile to defend their blameless brethren. While they were keen on upholding the spirit of the game, it was India who forced them to do otherwise.
Be it Harry Brook or Ben Stokes, it was always about taking a high moral ground. It was time to set the record straight, question this narrative and put out the Indian point of view. India skipper Shubman Gill did just that in the pre-match press conference before the fourth Test in Manchester.
“So let me just clear the air for once and for all,” said the India captain. “The English batsmen on that day, they had seven minutes of play left. They were 90 seconds late to come to the crease. Not 10, not 20, 90 seconds late. Yes, most of the teams use this. Even if we were in a position, we would have also liked to play lesser overs.”
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“The English batsmen on that day, they had seven minutes of play left. They were 90 seconds late to come to the crease.” – Gill@CricSubhayan @debasissen
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Gill added: “But there’s a manner to do it. And we felt, yes, if you get hit on your body, the physios are allowed to come in. And that is something that is fair. But to come 90 seconds late to the crease is not something that I think comes in the spirit of the game. And just leading up to that event, a lot of things that we thought should not have happened, happened. And I wouldn’t say it was something that I’m very proud of.”
The young captain sounded liked a seasoned pro as he went on. “But there was a lead-up and build-up to that. It didn’t just come out of nowhere. And we had no intention of doing that whatsoever. But if you’re playing a game, you’re playing to win. And there are a lot of emotions involved. When you see there are things happening that should not happen, sometimes the emotions come out of nowhere.”
While speaking on this subject, not once did Gill lose his poise. He wasn’t angry or emotional. He was matter of fact and set the record straight. In doing so, he drew the line. He has made it clear that he isn’t here to take things lying down and he will stand up for his rights. He will say openly that the English weren’t playing within the spirit of the game and that too at Lord’s.
Much like Anil Kumble in Australia in 2008, Gill is all for an eye for an eye. He will not back down. Rather, he will fight for his rights and fight hard. He is ready to own his actions and take responsibility for them. That’s what makes this series what it is — a hard fought battle of attrition where neither side is ready to back down. Forget the spirit, just enjoy the contest as it resumes today in Manchester.
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