Shubman Gill proves he is the right man to lead India, but questions linger over who has the final say in Playing XI

Hindustan Times

5 hours ago

This clearly is Shubman Gill's side. Any doubts pertaining to the 25-year-old's ability to hold his own as Test captain have been emphatically dispelled following the 2-2 draw in England in which Gill himself was adjudged India's Player of the Series by England coach Brendon McCullum. How much would you rate Shubman Gill's captaincy out of 10?(PTI)
By his own admission, there were justified question marks over his Test record outside Asia. By amassing 754 runs in his maiden outing, and that too in a land which has historically challenged batters more than any other country in the world, Gill has reiterated his propensity to thrive in, rather than be bogged down by, leadership responsibility. That an overwhelming run with the bat was backed up by his young colleagues holding Ben Stokes' team to an honourable deadlock meant Gill ticked most boxes, even if questions will linger over who has the final say in the playing XI.
Understandably, there was a touch of apprehension about how a new-look batting line-up, without retired stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, would acquit itself. Not too shabbily, is the universal verdict. India boasted 12 centuries from five Tests, the captain himself leading the way. His four hundreds were complemented by twin centuries each from deputy Rishabh Pant, the seasoned KL Rahul and the exciting Yashasvi Jaiswal, while left-handers Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar pulled the fat out of the fire with their respective tons during a match-saving unbroken double-century partnership in Manchester.
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India piled up 350 or more in eight of their ten innings, unprecedented in Test history. Agreed, the belters laid out for three of the five matches facilitated this staggering record, but you can only play the conditions you are presented with. In unquestionably the most demanding batting track at the Oval, India still held their own despite being asked to bat on day one and despite conceding a 23-run advantage, 396 in the second innings, putting the issue beyond England's reach, if only just.
Kuldeep Yadav relegated to the sidelines but it didn't cost the team too much
After their twin bitter experiences at Headingley in the first Test, when they suffered collapses of seven for 41 and six for 32 to surrender an 'unlosable' game where they had five centuries and where Jasprit Bumrah took five first-innings wickets, India opted for batting depth at the altar of specialist bowling options, which consistently relegated left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav to the sidelines. In the final analysis, it didn't cost the team too much; hindsight is 20-20, and there is no gainsaying how the series would have panned out had Kuldeep played. Perhaps, Gill ought to get the benefit of doubt for being a little conservative in his first shot at captaincy.
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Kuldeep will definitely be back in the mix for the next two series, both two-Test affairs at home against West Indies (October) and South Africa (November), where all things being equal, he should form a three-pronged spin force alongside Jadeja and Washington. India's last home series was an unmitigated and unparalleled disaster; the 0-3 hammering at the hands of New Zealand heralded the beginning of the end of Rohit's captaincy and Test career. Gill will quietly fancy his team's chances of coming away unscathed against the Caribbeans, whose fall from grace was confirmed during a 3-0 loss in their backyard to Australia last month, as well as against the reigning World Test Champions, who will offer sterner resistance but are still susceptible to quality spin.
Pace won't be so much in demand at home, and India have only one truly tough pace-friendly away assignment left in this WTC cycle – in New Zealand late next year – and Gill will do well to use this time judiciously. The once-vibrant pace cupboard is starting to look frayed and threadbare. Fitness issues continue to dog Akash Deep, Bumrah's back will remain a constant source of concern and scrutiny, and the back-up is only borderline encouraging. Too many young Indian pacers have started to pick up non-cricketing injuries for it not to be termed a trend. Prasidh Krishna's emergence as an aggressive option is a welcome development, though he can't afford to keep going at five runs to the over.
Gill is intelligent enough to understand that while he can only work with the resources at his disposal, he can be more proactive and touch base, in conjunction with head coach Gautam Gambhir, with the Centre of Excellence (previously NCA) boss VVS Laxman to ensure that a once-productive assembly line rediscovers its halcyon days.
Gill's first examination as skipper would have been an unqualified success had India seized at least half the crucial moments they frittered away. But he has done more than enough to suggest that he is the right man to lead the Indian team forward. That, more than anything else, is vitally reassuring.