Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has openly acknowledged the Indian team’s outstanding performance in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy and has reserved some special appreciation for young skipper Shubman Gill.
India might not have won the series against England, but the draw coming from behind in the series has received immense praise from former cricketers and cricket legends around the world.
Especially India’s performance in the series, despite the absence of senior pros Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and the limited presence of Jasprit Bumrah, is what has impressed the Indian fans more.
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Danish Kaneria’s special praise for Shubman Gill
Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has lauded the Indian skipper for a spirited Test series in England, which ended with a 2-2 scoreline in the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Shubman Gill himself finished at the top of the charts with 754 runs, which displays his phenomenal run as the captain of the Test side. Gill, who lacked a SENA hundred until the England series, now has four to his name. England coach Brendon McCullum picked Shubman Gill as the Player of the Series.
“Incredible — Test cricket at its absolute best,” Kaneria said, as quoted by TOI.
“There’s nothing that compares to the demands of Test cricket. It tests every ounce of a player’s physical and mental toughness over five days. This young Indian team, without Rohit and Virat, performed unbelievably under Shubman Gill’s leadership. He carried the team on his shoulders and scored over 700 runs — it’s simply outstanding,” he added.
Mohammed Siraj called the ‘true lion-heart’ by a former Pakistan star
After a high amount of praise for the Indian skipper, he next moved on to the man of the moment, Mohammed Siraj. Every player might have lows, but very few have the guts to bounce back like Siraj.
His dismissal made India lose the Lord’s Test with Jadeja left at the other end; he was thrashed for runs in the Manchester Test, and finally, coming into the Oval, he dropped the crucial catch of Harry Brook, which seemed to be the game-changing moment.
However, when no one believed India could do anything to win the Oval Test, it was this man who single-handedly pulled the game back in India’s favour and picked a 5-for to lead India to a series levelling win at The Oval.
“Mohammed Siraj is a true lion-heart. His commitment to the team is unmatched,” said Kaneria. “To play all five Tests, all of which went the distance, and to bowl with the same intensity shows his incredible fitness and passion. He carried the pace attack on his shoulders,” Kaneria said in praise of Siraj.
Akash Deep’s gritty 66 was the turning point
The former Pakistan star might have praised Mohammed Siraj or Shubman Gill for their terrific run in the series, but he believed some other players’ feisty innings played a pivotal role in the match and served as the turning point for India in the game.
“The turning point, in my opinion, was Akash Deep’s 66. Those runs gave India a much-needed boost,” Kaneria noted.
“Jaiswal’s attacking century, along with late-order runs from Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, played a major role in sealing the win.”
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