Former Indian batter and current pundit Sanjay Manjrekar believes captain Shubman Gill’s fiery emotional outburst during the third Test at Lord’s may have disrupted his rhythm—and ultimately hurt his performance in the final innings of the match. Gill’s aggressive exchange with England opener Zak Crawley at the close of Day 3 set off alarm bells for Manjrekar, who suggests Gill lacks the counter-punch temperament of Virat Kohli, and it showed when he returned to bat on Day 4.

Gill, who had amassed an impressive 485 runs across the first two Tests—including centuries at Headingley and Edgbaston—looked visibly shaky in the fourth innings at Lord’s, managing just six before being trapped LBW by Brydon Carse.

Sanjay Manjrekar pinpointed this dip to the on-field tension: “He came out looking very tentative… we could hear some personal attacks being made. This could be new territory for Gill… and he looked tentative and wasn’t up for it.” Indeed, wicket-by-wicket tracking shows he was beaten four times in nine balls—a departure from his series-long dominance.

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The comparison with Kohli was unavoidable: Manjrekar noted that “with Kohli, the angrier he got, the better he played,” whereas Gill appeared unsettled, lacking that fight-back instinct. He emphasised, “If Gill had that kind of a fiery side, we would have seen it earlier… With Gill, I’ve never seen it before.”

Manjrekar offered a perspective on Gill’s psychological development, proposing that the eight-day break before the Manchester Test offers Gill a chance to pause and evaluate his leadership and temperament. He suggested Gill’s natural persona falls somewhere between the cool-headedness of MS Dhoni and the intensity of Kohli, and he must “find his own way.” Gill’s father, known for nurturing his son’s composure, could play an instrumental role in guiding this evolution.

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With the series finely poised at 2–1 in England’s favour, the spotlight now moves to Old Trafford. Gill’s ability to control his emotions under pressure could be as crucial as his run production. If he channels aggression into focus, India will benefit; if not, history—New Delhi calling it ticking off as expensive. The series’ tight margins leave little room for anything less.