ENG vs IND 2025: 'He realised imitating Kohli was a mistake' - Mohammad Kaif praises Shubman Gill's approach

Published - 29 Jul 2025, 12:15 IST | Updated - 29 Jul 2025, 12:26 IST

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif hailed Indian captain Shubman Gill for his terrific knock in the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford. Kaif lauded the  25-year-old for his patience, as he scored 103 in 238 balls in India’s second innings, including 12 boundaries.

Gill formed a crucial 188-run stand for the third wicket with opener KL Rahul (90) after India were struggling at 0/2 on Day 4. The duo played over three sessions and later Indian all-rounders Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja shared an unbeaten 203-run stand, scoring centuries each to save the game for the visitors.

“In this Test, you must have seen that whenever the camera zoomed in on him, he was calm. He realized his mistake of trying to impersonate Virat Kohli… He realized his calm nature, and it transpired in his batting. He showed that he has temperament,” said Kaif on his YouTube Channel.

Shubman scores 4th ton on ENG tour as IND fight for a draw

The 44-year-old also urged the Indian team to pick the wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav for the fifth and the must-win clash set to begin on July 31 at the Oval. Indian bowlers bowled a marathon of overs across four matches and will be under tired legs. They will require the much-needed boost from a fresh bowler to level the series 2-2. Notably, the left-arm spinner has not played a Test match since October 2024.

"You have to win The Oval Test. If you lose it, then you’ll lose the series. You have to win to level the series. You can’t even draw. To win, you need 20 wickets. To bag 20 wickets, you’ve to play better bowlers in the XI. You need Kuldeep Yadav in the next Test match regardless of the conditions, seaming or overcast,” Kaif added.

Meanwhile, England have added Jamie Overton to their squad for the fifth Test as they bowled for five complete sessions in the fourth Test in Manchester. The hosts will look to win or draw the match, sealing the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in front of their home crowd.