James Anderson, speaking on the Tailenders podcast, has revealed that he started the war of words with Shubman Gill that culminated in a tense back-and-forth between the India batter and Jonny Bairstow on the last day at Dharamsala.

The India-England Test series was, for the most part, good-tempered, with the tourists’ frustrations mostly confined to complaints about the Decision Review System before the final Test.

But there was a flashpoint in the fifth Test match, with Bairstow and Gill in an argument as soon as the former arrived at the crease in the closing stages of England’s innings defeat. Bairstow took umbrage with something Gill had said to Anderson while batting during his century.

“What did you say to Jimmy about him retiring?” Bairstow asked.

“I told him he should retire,” Gill responded.

Gill: “I told him he should retire.”
Bairstow: “And then he got you out next ball?”

Jonny Bairstow and Shubman Gill took on each other in a verbal battle. Four balls later, Bairstow was dismissed.#INDvENG

WATCH ⬇️https://t.co/POjLiRtheL

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) March 10, 2024

The exchange continued, with Bairstow pointing out that Gill had been dismissed soon after his sledge, and the pair exchanging barbs about the other’s lack of hundreds in the series and overall respectively.

Anderson has since disclosed that Gill’s comment to him wasn’t the first word said in the spat.

“I said something to him like, ‘Do you get any runs outside India?’ and he said, ‘It’s time to retire’,” added Anderson. “Then two balls later, I got him out.”

Gill averages over 40 in Tests in India and under 30 outside.

Anderson also revealed another, more good-natured exchange between him and Kuldeep Yadav, with the India wrist-spinner predicting he would become the legendary fast bowler’s 700th Test wicket. “Kuldeep edged one down to third man for a single and as he got to the non-striker’s end and as I was walking back to my mark, he said, ‘I’m going to be your 700th wicket’,” Anderson said. “He wasn’t saying he was trying to get out, he was just saying he had a feeling. We both laughed at it.”

Kuldeep was indeed Anderson’s milestone scalp.