India’s thrilling six-run victory over England at The Oval not only helped them draw the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-2, but also triggered a flood of reactions from former players and experts. Among the highlights was a fun segment from “For The Love Of Cricket” podcast, where former England pacer Stuart Broad was asked to pick between Shubman Gill and Joe Root for the No.4 spot in a combined XI, based purely on performances from the five-Test series.
Faced with the dilemma, Broad didn’t hold back. “Oh, piss off. You want me to choose a name? Yeah. Joe and Shubman Gill… I can see the headlines now. Shubman Gill’s just scored the most runs as a Test captain behind Don Bradman, and Joe Root’s gone second in the all-time list (for most runs in Tests). Scored three hundreds back-to-back and his 39th Test match ton,” he said on the For The Love Of Cricket podcast. Pressed for a final call, Broad added, “Well, only because I’ve got Joe Root’s mobile number and don’t want the abuse, I’m going to go with Joe Root.” “Unbelievable. I can’t believe that,” quipped Jos Buttler, who was part of the conversation. India’s dramatic win on Monday morning owed much to Mohammed Siraj’s fiery five-wicket burst, which turned the tide after England started the day needing just 35 runs with four wickets in hand. The narrow six-run margin is now India’s slimmest Test win in terms of runs. With the result, India climbed to third in the ICC World Test Championship standings, with 28 points from five matches and a PCT (Percentage Points) of 46.67.
Poll
Who would you prefer for the No.4 spot in a combined XI based on the recent Test series?
More significantly, the draw against England was a major statement from a young Indian, responding strongly amid questions about the team’s transition and leadership under Shubman Gill.
