"How many 100s you got this series?": Gill, Bairstow exchange words during final Test

On Day three, England's ageless pace wonder James Anderson had become the first pacer ever to reach 700 Test wickets. One of his two victims during India's first innings was Gill, who had scored a fine century, concluding what could be a breakthrough Test series after a string of low scores on a high.

Just before Gill had reached his century, he exchanged some words with the 41-year-old pacer. When asked in the post-day press conference, Gill had said as quoted by Wisden on his exchange with Anderson, " I think it would be better for both of us to keep that chat in private." When Jonny came out to bat during England's second innings when they were tasked with cutting down a lead of 259 runs by India, Bairstow tried to enquire Gill about what he said to Anderson during their exchange. The 24-year-old batter boldly revealed that he told Anderson to retire. When Bairstow tried to remind Gill that Anderson got him soon after the exchange, the subject of conversations turned to centuries made during the series, where Gill had an upper hand over Bairstow, scoring two centuries as compared to none by the English batter.

Here is how the conversation went:

https://twitter.com/Ashu_x18/status/1766352634565558560

Jonny Bairstow: "What did you say to Jimmy about him retiring?"

Shubman Gill: "I told him he should retire"

Bairstow: "And then he got you out next ball?"

Gill: "So what? How many times has..."

Bairstow: "I was just asking"

Gill: "He can get me out after my 100"

Bairstow: "100 per cent"

Gill: "How many 100s [do you have] this series?"

Bairstow: "How many have you scored, full stop?"

Both the players were trying to get under each others' skins during a crucial point in the match and the trick went in India's favour as just four balls later Kuldeep Yadav trapped Bairstow leg-before wicket for 39 in 31 balls and England went on to lose the game by an innings and 64 runs.

Gill had a fine series with the bat, ending as the second-highest run-getter with 452 runs in nine innings at an average of 56.5, with two centuries and two fifties. His best score was 110. Bairstow on the other hand flopped big time, managing just 238 runs in 10 innings at an average of 23.8, with the best score of 39.

After winning the toss and opting to bat first, the visitors were bundled out for 218 in their first innings, with Zak Crawley (79 in 108 balls, with 11 fours and a six) top-scored for England, Jonny Bairstow (29), and Joe Root (26) the only notable contributors with the willow.Kuldeep Yadav (5/72) and Ravichandran Ashwin (4/51) topped the bowling charts for India.

In their first innings, India again out-batted England by a country mile, with the opening pair of skipper Rohit Sharma (103 in 162 balls, with 13 fours and three sixes) and Yashashwi Jaiswal (57 in 58 balls, with five fours and three sixes), contributing handsomely and putting the English attack to the sword.

Debutant Devdutt Padikkal (65 in 103 balls, with 10 fours and a six) and Sarfaraz Khan (56 in 60 balls, with eight fours and a six) also came up with crucial hands. After a mini-collapse, the ninth-wicket pair of Kuldeep Yadav (30 in 69 balls, with two fours) and Jasprit Bumrah (20 in 64 balls, with two fours) raised a 49-run stand to take India to 477, giving them a lead of 259 runs over the visitors.

Shoaib Bashir (5/173) was the pick of the bowlers for England while Tom Hartley and the veteran, James Anderson took two wickets apiece. Skipper Ben Stokes also got a wicket off his first ball of the series.

England were tasked to cut down on a deficit of 259 runs in their second innings. Though Joe Root (84 in 128 balls, with 12 fours) attempted to fight it out for England, he got very little support from the other end. Jonny Bairstow (39 in 31 balls, with three fours and three sixes) and Tom Hartley (20 in 24 balls, with four boundaries) contributed respectable scores, but nothing could help Root avert a disaster as England was bundled out for 195, handing England a defeat by an innings and 64 runs. England also lost the series 4-1.

Ashwin ended the match in the first session itself, demolishing the English top-order and ending with a five-wicket haul. Ashwin (5/77) was the pick of the bowlers for India. Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah took two wickets each, while Ravindra Jadeja got one. (ANI)