Shubman Gill’s Brain-Fade Dismissal Against Ben Stokes at Old Trafford Doesn’t Sit Well with Fans – “No Flat Pitch, No Party”

Shubman Gill was booed by the Old Trafford crowd after his dismissal, a consequence of his on-field argument with Zak Crawley in the Lord's Test.

Shubman Gill’s Brain-Fade Dismissal Against Ben Stokes at Old Trafford Doesn’t Sit Well with Fans – “No Flat Pitch, No Party”

Shubman Gill was caught in a brain-fade moment, being judged LBW out off Ben Stokes' delivery. (via India Today)

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Indian red-ball captain Shubman Gill drew fans’ ire, following his poor dismissal in the first innings of the fourth Test match against England at Old Trafford in Manchester. Gill was removed by Ben Stokes via. an LBW, showcasing a horrific error in judgement by the Indian skipper. 

Shubman Gill, after being handed the Indian Test captaincy following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from red-ball cricket, has led the team well in his very first assignment as captain. Out of the three matches that he has led India in against England, the team has won one, while only narrowly suffering defeats in the other two. The Men in Blue currently trail 1-2 in the five-match away series against the Three Lions.

Apart from the Lord’s debacle, where he only managed to score 22 runs across both the innings, Gill has otherwise led the team with the bat from the front. He stands as the highest run-getter in the series, having scored 619 runs in seven innings at an average of 88.43. Gill displayed his absolute best in the second Test at Edgbaston, where he notched a double-hundred in the first innings, and followed it up with another century in the second innings.

However, the 25-year-old’s poor luck since then, seems to have continued at Old Trafford as well, resulting in a bizarre first-innings dismissal. After coming to bat in the 41st over following Yashasvi Jaiswal‘s wicket, Gill’s stay at the crease was quite short-lived. Having scored just 12 runs off 23 deliveries, he was deceived by England captain Ben Stokes in the 50th over and was declared LBW in a ‘brain-fade’ moment.

Shubman Gill exhibited a significant lapse in judgment by deciding to leave the delivery from Stokes that was aimed at the off-stump. He misread the line of the ball, which angled in and struck his front pad, leaving him stranded. Umpire Rod Tucker took a moment before ultimately raising his finger, signaling Gill’s dismissal, prompting Stokes to roar and celebrate exuberantly in the Indian captain’s face.

While Shubman Gill immediately opted to review the decision, ball-tracking clearly showed the delivery was crashing into the stumps. His dismissal did provoke some questions, as the impact appeared to be outside the off-stumps.

However, ICC rules confirmed that the 25-year-old’s dismissal was legitimate, as a batter can be declared LBW even if the impact is outside the off-stump, provided no shot is attempted. Meanwhile, fans were startled by Gill’s poor decision-making and his inability to read the line.

Gill’s dismissal left India reeling at 140/3, before Rishabh Pant and Sai Sudharsan stabilized the innings. Meanwhile, the Indian captain joined Australia’s Cameroon Green on an unwanted list, having been dismissed four times (the second-most), while trying to leave the ball. 

Shubman Gill’s Odd Dismissal in Manchester Test Against England Leaves Indian Cricket Fans Stunned

Team India captain Shubman Gill’s odd dismissal in the first innings of the Manchester Test against the Three Lions, has left fans baffled. Gill was sent back to the pavilion after being declared LBW out of Ben Stokes’ delivery, as he surprisingly misjudged in reading the line.

Shubman Gill LBW Ben Stokes
Shubman Gill was declared LBW out in the 50th over of the first innings at Olrd Trafford, off Ben Stokes’ delivery. (via Business Standard)

Fans suggested that the 25-year-old struggles to score runs unless the pitch is flat or batting-friendly. A few others speculated that the new Indian captain’s mind might have been cluttered on the pitch, perhaps affected by being booed by the English supporters. Some even went as far as to suggest that Shubman Gill could no longer be labeled a ‘Generational Talent’ after this performance. Here are some of the reactions:

Prior to the match, Shubman Gill had also angered England fans by publicly stating that the Three Lions’ players did not adhere to the ‘Spirit of the Game’ during the third Test. Gill himself had been involved in a clash with England opener Zak Crawley during the first innings at Lord’s.