Ben Stokes‘ unorthodox field settings led the centurion Shubman Gill into committing a mistake, handing England an important breakthrough in the second innings of the Vizag Test between India and England.

Shubman Gill scored his third Test century on day three of the second Test between India and England. Holding the innings together as wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals at the other end, Gill led India’s charge in the second innings. Coming into this Test, there were serious question marks over Gill’s place in the side following his poor run of form. With this hundred, he has eased some pressure off his back.

Gill reached his hundred in the 52nd over and was looking set to go big before he was dismissed trying to reverse sweep Shoaib Bashir four overs later. A full ball on off stump caught Gill’s gloves and lobbed up to Ben Foakes. The on-field umpire didn’t give it out. England took a review and had their man, as India slipped to 211-5.

Eoin Morgan, who was on air during the dismissal, credited Ben Stokes for the wicket. Stokes had set an unorthodox field for Gill, forcing him into trying something different.

At the start of the over, there was a fielder straight down the ground, right in front of the sightscreen, who had been called up to a short mid-on two balls before the dismissal. A fielder from the off side had also moved into the leg side, making it a 6-3 leg side field, leaving wide open gaps on the off side.

Perhaps tempted by the open spaces on the off side and with no room to work with on the leg, Gill attempted a reverse sweep off a ball he would otherwise have played with the turn, and ended up giving a catch to the wicketkeeper.

“A wicket purely created by Ben Stokes,” Morgan said on air. “Numerous changes in the field. Stacked leg-side field enforces the change in shot, the change in mindset from Shubman Gill [who has] already played unbelievably well. Stokes knows it. England know it. He’s fallen for the trap.”

Ravi Shastri agreed with Morgan and elaborated on how Stokes’ field changes led to Gill’s dismissal. “Yes, they made him think differently,” Shastri said. “His strength is to use his feet, hit down the ground.”

Morgan was lavish in his praise for Stokes’ on-his-feet thinking. “Certainly on numerous occasions Ben Stokes has implemented changes in fields,” Morgan added. “Almost fisherman like – setting the lure, not needing the rod. The fish has jumped into the boat.

“We’ve seen it for many, many years for India – MS Dhoni, doing the exact same thing, recognising opportunity when nothing is on offer. Playing on batters’ ego in many ways. Almost creating something from nothing. It is a huge, huge skill, and tough to play against at times.”

India collapsed after Gill’s wicket, going from 211-4 to 229-8 in the span of 10 overs.

England have been known for setting highly unorthodox fields in their Bazball era. During the 2023 Ashes, they had lured Usman Khawaja into doing something out of the ordinary by setting up a ring of fielders at cover. Khawaja, like Gill, had already crossed a hundred, and was dismissed trying to step out and force things against Ollie Robinson.

Gill’s wicket will similarly go down as one of the products of the creative thinking that has been the hallmark of England under Stokes’ captaincy.

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