Gill drops catch, strikes twice in 4 balls to stun England stars

In the opening session of the 3rd Test between India and England at Lord's, Shubman Gill experienced a momentary lapse as he dropped Ollie Pope at gully. However, that slip proved to be the only blemish in what was otherwise an impressive display of leadership by the 25-year-old Indian captain.

With England’s openers Ben Duckett (23 off 40) and Zak Crawley (18 off 43) settling in confidently and navigating the testing spells from Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Akash Deep, India needed a breakthrough. The seamers toiled hard in the opening hour, exploiting the Lord’s slope and generating chances, but the English batters held firm, reaching 39 without loss after 13 overs.

Recognizing the need for a change, Gill made a bold call. Instead of bringing back Akash Deep, who had impressed with a 10-wicket haul in the previous Test at Edgbaston, Gill handed the ball to batting all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy from the Nursery End. The move paid instant dividends.

Reddy struck twice in a single over, breaking the stand and shifting momentum in India’s favor. England were reduced to 83 for two at lunch, thanks to Reddy’s crucial breakthroughs.

While Gill’s drop of Pope could have proved costly, his sharp tactical decision to introduce Reddy turned the tide, underlining his growing maturity as a Test captain.