Shubman Gill, Gautam Gambhir slammed for ‘wrong tactics' as India allow England for revival via Harry Brook, Jamie Smith

Mint

13 hours ago

Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir were once put in the dock for poor strategies after India allowed England to crawl back into the game during the first innings of the ongoing second Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Friday. Starting the day on 77/3, England were in a spot of bother when they lost overnight batter Joe Root and captain Ben Stokes in successive deliveries with just 84 runs on board.
What followed was a counterattack by Jamie Smith and Harry Brook, thanks to India's baffling tactics, leaving the former cricketers stunned. Coming in the middle at no.7, Smith smashed the highest Test score (184 not out) by an English wicketkeeper and forged a 302-run stand for the sixth wicket with Harry Brook (158) to pull England out of the well.
While Siraj (6/70) and Akash Deep (4/88) got all the 10 wickets, Prasidh Krishna became the target of the Smith-Brook duo as they smashed the Indian pacer all round the park. To add more to that, Krishna's tactical ploy of attacking with a barrage of short balls failed completely.
With the pitch offering help on the good length deliveries, Gill's decision to go for the short-ball strategy after discussion with the Indian think-tank didn't go well with the former cricketers, especially Mohammad Kaif, who took to social media to express his frustration.
'At 84/5, India should have shown patience. The ball was moving, they could have stuck to the good old line and length bowling. By going for the short-pitch against Smith and Brook, India played in England's hand. Chance missed because of wrong tactics,' Kaif wrote on X.
Former Australian cricketer Mark Waugh also echoed the same. 'Strange tactics from India. Nearly 300 in front and have resorted to trying to buy a wicket caught in the deep,' said Waugh.
Despite the two hundreds from Brook and Smith, England could only manage 407 in the first innings in reply to India's 587. As many as six England batters fell for ducks, thus helping India take a 180-run lead.
In the process, Smith surpassed former cricketer Alec Stewart for the highest Test score by an England wicketkeeper. Stewart had scored 173 against New Zealand at Auckland in 1997.