Ahead of the fourth Test between England and India at Old Trafford which began on Wednesday in Manchester, fans witnessed sparks flying even before the first ball was bowled. Indian captain Shubman Gill made headlines during the pre-match press conference when he raised questions over England’s approach at the end of Day 4 in the third Test at Lord’s.

Referring to England’s last-over delay tactics and a heated moment with Zak Crawley, Gill acknowledged that while every team would prefer to use up time towards the very end, England’s decision to deliberately stall the game by 90 seconds wasn’t justified. The Indian skipper’s comments clearly hinted at frustration over what he believed was intentional time-wasting by the English side.

Nasser Hussain takes a dig at Shubman Gill

Former England captain Nasser Hussain, never one to shy away from offering his opinions, didn’t take too kindly to Gill’s remarks. Hussain’s comments was clearly aimed at undermining Gill’s criticism, suggesting that the Indian side, if given the opportunity, would indulge in similar tactics to gain an upper hand.

“That’s what made me laugh about Shubman Gill’s press conference really. Yes, England delayed things, but every team does it. India would have done the same tonight. Why would they want to face someone like Jofra Archer under lights?,” said Hussain while commentating during Day 1 of the Manchester Test.

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Dinesh Karthik delivers a sharp rebuttal

However, Hussain’s comments didn’t go unchallenged. Dinesh Karthik, on-air alongside Hussain, offered a calm yet pointed counter-argument in defence of the Indian captain.

“The difference being. I don’t think India can take 90 seconds not wanting to bat or come down to take strike. That’s the problem Gill had—just the fact that they came late to resume play,” said Karthik.

Karthik further acknowledged that some level of gamesmanship is part of cricket, even calling England’s move ‘clever’ and ‘cheeky.’ But he stressed that delaying play by such a margin, especially when the umpires were already concerned about light, crossed a line.

India end Day 1 strongly despite Gill’s early exit

On the field, India finished Day 1 of the 4th Test in a commanding position at 264/4 after being asked to bat first. While the visitors would be pleased with the overall effort, skipper Gill had a forgettable outing, falling for just 12 runs. He was undone by a sharp delivery from England captain Ben Stokes, who drew an edge to the slips.

Despite Gill’s early dismissal, other Indian batters held firm, with key contributions from Sai Sudharsan steering the team to a strong first-innings response at stumps.

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