IND vs ENG: Shubman Gill, Jonny Bairstow's heated sledging war resurfaces - viral video

Resurfaced Sledging Match Between Shubman Gill and Jonny Bairstow Goes Viral

NEW DELHI: As Shubman Gill celebrated his captaincy debut with a remarkable unbeaten century at Headingley on Friday, a past verbal duel between him and England's Jonny Bairstow has resurfaced online, quickly gaining traction in cricket circles.

The clip originates from the final Test of the 2024 India-England series in Dharamshala. It captures a light-hearted yet intense exchange between the two batsmen.

The incident occurred after Gill scored a century and was dismissed by James Anderson.

Reportedly, Gill had previously suggested to Anderson, who had just achieved the milestone of 700 Test wickets, that he should consider retirement. Bairstow, upon entering to bat in England's second innings, decided to bring up the topic.

The conversation unfolded as follows:

• Bairstow: "What did you say to Jimmy about him retiring?"
• Gill: "I told him he should retire."
• Bairstow: "And then he got you out next ball?"
• Gill: "So what? He can get me out after my 100."
• Bairstow: "100 percent."
• Gill: "How many hundreds do you have this series?"
• Bairstow: "How many have you scored, full stop?"

Watch:

Despite the exchange concluding with smirks, the game soon turned in India's favor. Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Bairstow just four balls later, and India secured victory by an innings, winning the series 4-1.

Now, several months later, Gill has taken the lead in his debut innings as India's Test captain, achieving an impressive 127 not out against England in the series opener at Headingley.

With Jaiswal's 101 and Pant’s unbeaten 65, India concluded Day 1 on 359/3, holding a strong position.

The resurfaced sledging video adds an intriguing dimension to the new series.

As England seeks to reorganize without Bairstow, Shubman Gill's performance, both with the bat and as a captain, indicates a promising new era for Indian Test cricket.