India, July 4 -- India's long-awaited Vaibhav Sooryavanshi call finally arrived at Old Trafford, but the defining post-toss frame was not only about the teenager who came in. It was also about the man who went out. Soon after India confirmed Sooryavanshi's senior international debut for the second T20I against England, broadcast visuals showed head coach Gautam Gambhir having a chat with Sanju Samson on the outfield.

There was no audio of the exchange, and there is no need to speculate about what was said. But the image carried weight because of the history behind it. Samson was not just another player left out after a poor run. He had been one of the batters Gambhir publicly backed through India's T20 World Cup campaign, and one of the ...