"Stick to It": Mohammed Kaif Urges Gill To Maintain His Lord’s 'Attitude'

Soumyajit Dutta

Mohammed Kaif and Shubman Gill [Source: @amarkoii/X.com]Mohammed Kaif and Shubman Gill [Source: @amarkoii/X.com]

Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has urged Shubman Gill to focus on his natural game and avoid on-field confrontations with England players for the remainder of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Kaif believes Gill's exchange with Zak Crawley during the Lord's Test backfired, energizing England captain Ben Stokes and contributing to India's narrow 22-run defeat.

Kaif Wants Gill To Keep The Same Energy!

The incident occurred just before Stumps on Day 3. Gill became visibly frustrated by Crawley, perceiving the England opener as time-wasting. Crawley repeatedly pulled out of his stance against Jasprit Bumrah in the final minutes, requested to stop play entirely, and called for the physio after being hit. 

Gill responded with finger-pointing, sarcastic applause, and gesturing for an 'Impact Player' substitution. Mohammed Kaif directly linked this to England's resurgence while taking to his official X handle.

“Shubman Gill’s fight with Zak Crawley charged England. After Edgbaston, there were questions about their batting, bowling and captaincy. But that incident fired up Stokes and he bowled an inspiring spell. It is wise to stick to the attitude that works for you. Gill will learn this the hard way." Kaif posted on X.

Stokes Affirms The Boost

Stokes, whose subsequent five-wicket haul proved pivotal, confirmed the incident galvanized his team. 

“When you’re watching your two opening batters go out there for an over, and you’re seeing 11 guys all come at [them], that’s going to bring out another side," Stokes said in the post-match conference.

England later displayed similar aggression, notably when Brydon Carse shouted at Akash Deep and Stokes clapped sarcastically at KL Rahul during time-consuming efforts late on Day 4. While the Test concluded without further major incident, the underlying tension suggests the 'needle' between the sides may continue throughout the series.