Ravi Shastri's Blunt 'Virat Kohli' Message To Gautam Gambhir As Captain Shubman Gill Struggles

NDTV

9 hours ago

As the Manchester Test between India and England enters Day 5, the danger of a series loss keeps lurking. Though KL Rahul (87) and Shubman Gill (78) did very well in giving the team some stability after the loss of two wickets in the first over, the danger is still quite real, especially as India trail England by 137 runs. More than the bowlers' inefficiency, Shubman Gill's tactical flaws have contributed a lot to the team's current situation. Ravi Shastri, former India head coach, shared his and Virat Kohli 's example as he urged current coach Gautam Gambhir to lend a helping hand to skipper Gill, especially as the latter is at the start of his career as a captain.
"I'll give an example of Virat. He was the other way round as far as Gill [is concerned]. He was ultra-aggressive, where you had to, at times, calm him down from the dressing room. It was as if he wanted five wickets every session. That doesn't happen. Sometimes, you've got to respect conditions and set fields accordingly," Shastri said during a discussion on Sky Sports Cricket.
Gill has the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, and KL Rahul among senior players to consult with. Rishabh Pant, though not a veteran, is also seen as a person with a great tactical mind and is the team's designated vice-captain.
With Pant not on the field due to an injury, Shastri said he needs others to rally around Gill to help him navigate the challenges better.
"That's why team management becomes crucial. For Shubman Gill, it should be [the case] for his first year. The senior team members... they have to start being accountable, they have to have their own ideas. That should come from the bowlers as well, rather than the captain going to them. They've played 50-60 Test matches. That's what Stokes does; he wants to disrupt things and find ways to break partnerships," he asserted.