England superstar James Anderson has revealed he was responsible for first sledging India batter Shubman Gill in the fifth Test that led to a heated flashpoint between Gill and England’s Jonny Bairstow.
Gill scored a century in the series-concluding clash in Dharamsala while trading barbs with veteran paceman Anderson.
When Bairstow arrived at the crease on the final day, he immediately fired up at the young India star over something Gill had said to Anderson.
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“What did you say to Jimmy about him retiring?” Bairstow asked, as picked up on the stump microphone.
“I told him he should retire,” Gill replied.
Bairstow: “And then he got you out next ball?”
Gill: “So what? How many times has …”
Bairstow: “I was just asking”
Gill: “He can get me out after my 100”
Bairstow: “100 per cent”
Gill: “How many 100s [do you have] this series?”
Bairstow: “How many have you scored, full stop?”
Now Anderson has revealed he was actually the one to begin the war of words with Gill.
Anderson told BBC’s Tailenders podcast: “I said something to him like, ‘Do you get any runs outside India?’ and he said, ‘It’s time to retire’.
“Then two balls later, I got him out.”
Gill averages 41.38 on home soil with three centuries, while averaging 29.66 outside India.
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Anderson also revealed another interaction with an India star – though this one was far more friendly.
After Gill became Anderson’s 699th Test wicket, India spinner Kuldeep Yadav predicted that he himself would fall victim to bring up Anderson’s milestone 700th.
“Kuldeep edged one down to third man for a single and as he got to the nonstriker’s end and as I was walking back to my mark, he said, ‘I’m going to be your 700th wicket’,” Anderson said.
“He wasn’t saying he was trying to get out, he was just saying he had a feeling. We both laughed at it.”
True to his gut feeling, Yadav did become Anderson’s 700th scalp.
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