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

Shubman Gill and Jonny Bairstow's Sledging Match Resurfaces Amidst Captaincy Debut

NEW DELHI: As Shubman Gill celebrated his captaincy debut with a remarkable unbeaten century at Headingley on Friday, a past verbal exchange between him and England's Jonny Bairstow has resurfaced, rapidly spreading across the internet within cricket communities.

Shubman Gill of India (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

The clip, originating from the final Test of the 2024 India-England series in Dharamshala, captures a moment where the two batsmen engaged in some spirited, yet light-hearted banter.

The exchange occurred after Gill had achieved a century but was soon dismissed by James Anderson.

Reportedly, Gill had previously suggested to Anderson, who had just become the first pace bowler to take 700 Test wickets, that he should consider retirement. When Bairstow came to bat in England's second innings, he brought up the subject.

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 ending with smiles, the match result favored India. Bairstow was dismissed just four balls later by Kuldeep Yadav, and India won the match by an innings, securing the series 4-1.

Now, several months later, Gill has taken the lead in his first innings as India’s Test captain, scoring 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 at 359/3, holding a strong position.

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

As England seeks to recover without Bairstow, Shubman Gill’s performance, both as a batsman and as captain, indicates a promising new chapter for Indian Test cricket.