24 June,2025 08:05 PM IST | Headingley (UK) | mid-day online correspondent
Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna (Pic: AFP)
Captain Shubman Gill's witty remark about pacers Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj, picked up by the stump mic on day 5 of the ongoing first Test between India and England at Headingley in Leeds, has now gone viral across social media platforms.
During the 17th over of England's second innings, Prasidh delivered a sharp delivery that beat Ben Duckett outside the off stump. In the background, stump microphones picked up Gill's animated cry: 'Ek taraf se Mohammed hai, ek taraf se Krishna, dono bhagwan...', translating to 'On one side there is Mohammed, on the other, Krishna...both Gods'. The quip was a clever wordplay on the names of Indian pacers Siraj and Krishna, referencing religious figures from Islam and Hinduism.
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The humorous remark quickly gained traction online, with fans sharing and reacting to the clip across social media platforms. At the time of Gill's comment, England were 52 without loss, with Krishna replacing Jasprit Bumrah to bowl alongside Siraj, the two fast bowlers forming a potent but as yet unrewarded combination.
Meanwhile, on the field, England's openers remained unyielding in their pursuit of a challenging 371-run target. A brief rain interruption delayed proceedings in the second session, but play resumed shortly after. At that stage, England had progressed to 181 for no loss, requiring a further 190 runs to complete what would be one of their most memorable Test chases. With at least 55 overs left in the day, the match was delicately poised.
Duckett brought up a well-compiled century shortly after the lunch break. The milestone came with some fortune, as he had earlier survived a chance when Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped him at slip off Siraj in the 39th over. Duckett's fluent innings continued to frustrate the Indian bowlers, who struggled to find a breakthrough on a flat Headingley pitch.
Zak Crawley, too, enjoyed a reprieve in the morning session when Bumrah was unable to complete a difficult return catch in his follow-through. The missed opportunities summed up a challenging day for the Indian bowling unit, who toiled without reward under increasingly cloudy skies.