"Can't Believe...": Shastri Slams Gill's Captaincy, Proven Wrong Instantly

India entered Day 5 of the second Test between India and England on the verge of creating history and winning their first-ever Test match at Edgbaston. However, when play started after a delay of 100 minutes, India captain Shubman Gill decided to open the bowling with Prasidh Krishna, and not Mohammed Siraj. Gill also switched pacer Akash Deep's end to what he was bowling the day prior. Gill's decision was criticised by former India head coach Ravi Shastri on commentary, but it was ultimately vindicated as Akash Deep ended up taking two wickets in his first spell.

"Can't believe that the senior-most bowler, the man who has taken the maximum number of wickets in this game, is not bowling," Shastri stated, referring to Mohammed Siraj.

Siraj, up until that point, was the highest wicket-taker of the match, having taken seven wickets across the game.

"Mohammed Siraj, six in the first innings, one in the second. He's watching from mid-on as his junior partners are bowling. He'd be hoping they strike, otherwise he would be itching to get the ball," Shastri pointed out.

Shastri also raised concern about the fact that Gill changed Akash Deep's end, given that the 27-year-old pacer had taken two wickets from the other end in the final session of Day 4.

As it turned out, Akash Deep did strike. Not just once, but twice. Akash Deep first got the wicket of Ollie Pope in the 20th over, and then trapped Harry Brook leg-before-wicket (LBW) in the 22nd over.

As a result, Shubman Gill's decision to change Akash Deep's end worked wonders for Team India.

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