Shubman Gill's early days as India's Test captain have stirred intense debate -- not just for his on-field decisions, but for a noticeable shift in persona.
While former Australian opener Matthew Hayden reckons series will go India's way, two former India players believe otherwise.
Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali sees shades of Virat Kohli in Shubman Gill's aggressive on-field demeanour, but feels the India batter's approach during the Lord's Test may have triggered a stronger response from the hosts.
'I wanted a player of his calibre to take on one of the strongest sides in the country.' 'However, he stuck to his guns, and we had an argument.'
The Indian team also made history at Headingley in the series opener, with five centuries scored in a Test match.
'...If Shubman Gill had that kind of a fiery side to him, we would have seen it a little earlier. You don't have to show it when you're the captain.
Sanjay Manjrekar, who got embroiled in controversies in recent years for some of his views on air, was axed from the BCCI's commentary panel for the South Africa series recently.
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While Gill's intent was to contain, former players believe he missed an opportunity to attack when it mattered most.
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Can Shubman Gill and his men rewrite the script once more? The answer begins unrolling on July 23.
Manjrekar however, did flag India's overseas batting fragility.
Led by Shubman Gill, a defiant India put on a mentally strong and technically disciplined response to keep the series alive with England 2-1 up. While there were plenty of positives to take forward, a few concerns continue to linger as the series heads to a decider at The Oval.
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has stirred up fresh controversy with his latest IPL 2025 rankings, leaving fans fuming after snubbing two of the tournament's top run-scorers.
When Sanjay Manjrekar predicted that Mohammad Shami would not attract big bids, this is how the paceman responded.
It will require a lot of man management from young skipper Shubman Gill and the seasoned dressing room figurehead Gautam Gambhir to ensure that Jasprit Bumrah is accorded the respect and space he deserves.
Has Suryakumar Yadav eclipsed the legendary A B de Villiers in the T20 format?
'He is one guy that India will really want back in the dressing room very quickly.'
Despite enduring severe cramps that had him hopping in pain and necessitated physio attention, Gill played a key role in anchoring India's chase on a tricky, two-paced surface at Nagpur's Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium.
'We won't miss Virat and Rohit. I have faith in our young team.'
He is short of confidence with self-doubts: Sanjay Manjrekar reflects on Rohit Sharma's recent Test form
Sanjay Manjrekar admitted to a lack of familiarity with players from North India. This statement, interpreted as regional bias and a disregard for talented cricketers, left fans fuming.
'His focus is solely on winning matches, and he's willing to sacrifice personal milestones for the greater good.'
Former India player Sanjay Manjrekar has painted a grim picture of Rohit Sharma's current form, saying "things are slipping away" from the senior batter who has reached a point in his career where he has to "push himself every morning".
Why did he overbowl Siraj and underbowl Ashwin?
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar heaped praise on Jasprit Bumrah's outstanding performance in the ongoing Test match against Bangladesh.
Former India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar voiced his support for Kohli, expressing confidence in the batter's ability to make a strong comeback thanks to his fitness.
'You have to think positive and play positively only then you will get a positive result.'
'It was probably one of the best barbecues I've seen, to be honest with you. It came out of the blue'
'Rohit & Agarkar, much better guys to front up for the media.'
'I remember I smashed my first double hundred here against England and then went onto score many more hundreds in my career.'
Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar, on the other hand, feels that Pandya has the ability to replicate Mahendra Singh Dhoni's role as a finisher in the Indian ODI set-up.
'So the tweet was to basically to belittle Ganguly and Tendulkar. Holding grudges since three decades is not a good sign Sanjay, behave!'
Virat Kohli's refusal to make changes in his batting to overcome a weakness outside the off-stump has seen his average drop from the 50s to 48.13, says former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar.
Sanjay Manjrekar believes the Aussies will likely target Kohli's off-stump, a tactic that has proven effective in recent times.
Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes Virat Kohli needs to relax and not overthink his form ahead of India's crucial Champions Trophy clash against Pakistan.
'If the chairman of selectors believes in the future health of Indian cricket, he has the power to decide whether your career should end now, whether you get a few more matches, or one more series.'
'The most attractive hundred I've seen in India in recent times.'
The batting maestro, known for his aggressive stroke play, fell victim to a full toss from Mitchell Santner in the 24th over.
'It's as if he's the genie of Indian cricket, fulfilling every wish with perfect precision.'
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