"It's a bit of a statement" - Australian legend's massive claim on Shubman Gill after Day 4 of ENG vs IND 2025 4th Test

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting believes Indian skipper Shubman Gill has made a resounding statement with his defiant knock on Day 4 of the fourth Test against England at Manchester. Trailing 1-2 in the best-of-five series, the visitors conceded a massive lead of 311 runs after the first innings.

Things further worsened for Team India when they sank to 0/2 in the first over of their second innings. However, the 25-year-old displayed incredible fortitude and skill in thwarting the English attack over the final two sessions of the fourth day.

The Indian skipper scored 78* off 167 deliveries to take his side to 174/2, heading into the final day.

Talking about Gill's fighting knock at the end of Day 4 on Sky Sports, Ponting said [8:59]:

"It's a bit of a statement from the captain, Shubman Gill. He has come out under extreme pressure for this innings. We've been critical about him tactically through the course of this game and so to come out at 0/2, he was under a lot of pressure to stand up as a captain and a player."

He added:

"But, there's still a long way to go and because this wicket is so slow, it won't be easy to start on for anybody so once you've got a partnership like this, it's really important that you stretch it out."

Gill broke records for fun in the first two Tests with a double century and two centuries. However, he endured three consecutive low scores following those heroics before the second innings half-century in the ongoing Test.

"They are real tough and they fight" - Ricky Ponting on Team India

Ricky Ponting praised Team India for their stunning comeback after looking to be down and out on Day 4 of the Manchester Test against England. Skipper Gill found great company in the in-form KL Rahul as the duo added an unbeaten 174 for the third wicket after the side were reeling at 0/2.

"It's a great comeback. There is something about these more modern Indian players, they are real tough and they fight. And they tend to bat better on really wearing wickets because that's what they are used to batting on at home," said Ponting (via the aforementioned source).

Gill and Rahul are India's top two run-scorers thus far in the series with 697 and 508 runs, respectively. The visitors must win or save the Manchester Test to stay alive in the series, heading into the final Test at the Oval.

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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran