TimesofIndia.com in Manchester: Three Tests, six innings, and the series has already seen monumental efforts by both captains. If it was Shubman Gill with the bat at Edgbaston, it was Ben Stokes with his long spells at Lord's, helping their respective teams to Test wins. Two individuals in the hot seat have little in common, but they share one common drive — to lead from the front.
One is 34, the other is 25. One has seen a lot as a leader, while the other is taking baby steps into his new role. One is obsessed with a certain way of playing Test
cricket, while the other is obsessed with batting and is navigating his way through what is his maiden assignment as captain. There's very little in common, but both are chasing an important moment in their respective careers, standing at contrasting junctures, and a Manchester win stands in their way.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The series win would give Stokes the assurance that his methods still tick, while victory for India would do a world of good for Gill, who has struggled with player availability and injuries in his first series as a captain. It's all to play for from July 23 at the Old Trafford cricket ground. The series is on the line for the visitors, while the hosts have a bright opportunity to deliver the knockout blow.
On the eve of the game, very little cricketing activity was possible due to consistent rain, and the press conferences of the two captains turned out to be the only talking point. Stokes spoke at length about his workload, England's approach, sledging the opponents, and the makeup of their XI. Gill, in a much shorter interaction, was very precise and took a nice parting jibe.
Very like Stokes, but very unlike Gill. That’s how the two media sessions unfolded, but a lot of “unlike Gill” things have happened in the series so far. The brush with captaincy has certainly flipped the intensity switch in Gill, and he has been far more in-your-face over the last month than he has been in his entire career. The youngster said the challenges of captaincy have been more mental than physical, but he continued to hold his ground on his side's theatrics during those dramatic six minutes at Lord's on Day 3.
"The English batsmen on that day had 7 minutes of play left. They were 90 seconds late to come to the crease. Not 10, not 20 but 90 seconds late. Even if we were in that position, we would have also liked to play fewer overs. But there is a manner to do it. And we felt, yes, if you get hit on your body, the physios are allowed to come on, and that is something that is fair. But to be able to come 90 seconds late to the crease is not something that I would think comes in the spirit of the game," said Gill, while throwing punches at the opposition, which has upped the chatter on sledging and verbal volleys.
Not long before Gill's comments, Stokes mentioned that while they would not initiate any chatter, they would not take a "backward step" when tension rises in the middle.
"It's not something that we're going to purposely go out and look to start again, because then that will take our focus off what we actually need to do out in the middle. But by no means are we going to take a backward step and let any opposition try and be confrontational towards us, and not try to give a bit back. I think that goes for most teams, to be honest. So it's not like we're the only team who does that," said Stokes.
The series is very well placed at the moment, and while India would be disappointed to see the 1-2 scoreline, it's not a reflection of the kind of cricket they have played so far. The scoreline could well have been 2-1 in their favour, if not 3-0, and Manchester will be a stiff test for the depleted bunch to throw the right punches and keep the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy alive before the caravan moves to London for the final Test.
Gill has had a fantastic run with the bat, looked tactically very sound, and Stokes was back to doing Stokes things with his marathon spells and signs of returning to form with the bat. The two captains will be at it for the next five days, chasing the same goal, one with far bigger implications for their, and their teams’, futures.
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