"Went to the pharmacy and got a non-greasy hand sanitizer" - Former India coach trolls Gill and co. over poor catching in 1st ENG vs IND 2025 Test

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri cheekily trolled Shubman Gill and co. over their poor catching in the first Test against England at Headingley in Leeds. While referring to India's historic win in the second Test at Edgbaston, Shastri joked that the skipper went to a pharmacy and bought a non-greasy hand sanitizer to ensure that catches stick to the fielders' hands.

India dropped as many as six catches in the first innings in Leeds and two in the second. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was the main culprit, dropping four of the catches. The visitors, however, came up with a much improved all-round show in the second Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham to register a record 336-run win.

Speaking during a discussion on Sky Sports, which also featured Dinesh Karthik, Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton, Shastri made a rather bizarre comment about India's performance in Birmingham and quipped:

"The best thing he [Gill] did over those six days, seven days off, he went to the pharmacy and he got a non-greasy hand sanitizer so the catches don't slip; they stick. He said, 'I am going to get something that sticks properly into your hands'. Just put that, hold your catches, you win matches."

India did drop a few catches in the second Test against England as well, but most of them were tough chances. They grabbed most of the opportunities that came their way and were way better in the field overall.

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"You come out there and bat like Bradman" - Ravi Shastri's massive praise for Shubman Gill

On a serious note, Shastri hailed Gill for his brilliant knocks with the bat in the ongoing series against England. He compared the Indian skipper's performances to Aussie batting legend Sir Don Bradman and commented:

"The best by a captain. 10 out of 10. You can't ask for more from a captain. You are 1-0 down in the series. You come out there and bat like Bradman. 269, 161 and you end up winning the game. Your captaincy was very reactive in the first Test match. You almost followed the ball. You were very proactive in the next game."

"The first time I saw him, I said, this is class. I've seen Tendulkar first time, caught your imagination. Kohli of course. And this broke," the 63-year-old went on to add.

With 585 runs in four innings in the ongoing series against England, Gill has already broken Virat Kohli's record for most runs by an Indian batter in his debut series as Test captain. Kohli totaled 449 runs in four innings during the tour of Australia in 2014-15.