‘Ravi Shastri was right': Shubman Gill's shortcomings laid bare in another pointed Virat Kohli reminder
As weird as it may sound but India didn't quite miss Virat Kohli the batter in the first Test against England but they dearly missed Virat Kohli, the aggressor in the field. The legendary cricketer announced his retirement barely a week before India's squad for the England tour was announced. With Rohit Sharma also retired, the obvious fear was about how India's relatively inexperienced batting unit would fare in English conditions in the absence of two of their most trusted willow wielders. But Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul sent out a loud and clear message of "All Izz Well" by hitting centuries - Pant hit centuries in both innings - in Headingley. India's captain Shubman Gill reacts after his team's defeat on day five of the first cricket test match against England(AFP)
India, however, ended up on the losing side. Ben Duckett hit 149 as England chased down 371 - their second-highest successful run chase - to take a 1-0 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Tactically, India always appeared a step behind. Young captain Shubman Gill was far too defensive in his field placements, and overall, the Indian bowlers lacked the spice that was the hallmark of Virat Kohli's captaincy tenure. Who can forget his dugout speech urging his bowlers to unleash "60 overs of hell" on England batters in the final two sessions to bowl them out and force victory?
That element was missing on Day 5. When things were going India's way, there was no one like Kohli to spring life into them and make things happen. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri was the first to point out Kohli's glaring absence in the field during his commentary stint in the first session on Tuesday.
'India need someone to do a Kohli. Should be someone designated. Kohli could do it for 3 people. Get in the face,' Shastri said in commentary when England openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley were going strong in the morning session and things appeared flat from India's perspective. Also Read | 'I'm sorry, Shardul Thakur has to go out': Shubman Gill, Gambhir ordered to use 'common sense' like Ben Stokes
Former India all-rounder Madan Lal, another important member of India's 1983 World Cup-winning team, like Shastri, agreed with his former teammate and said Kohli's intensity in the field was missing on Day 5 in Headingley.
"We were missing the passion and intensity Virat Kohli brought to the game. Ravi Shastri was right," wrote Madan Lal on X.
It was baptism of fire for Gill in his first Test as skipper since succeeding the now-retired Rohit Sharma, and Hussain said the youngster was "reactive rather than proactive" as a leader.
"I saw someone finding his way. He (Gill) didn't quite have that on-field aura of Rohit and (Virat Kohli). I thought he followed the ball a lot and was reactive rather than proactive," former England captain Hussain said on Sky Sports.
"When Rohit and Kohli captained, you looked down and you immediately knew who was in charge but when I looked down in this game I saw two or three captains, captaincy by committee," Hussain said, alluding to Gill not taking complete control of the team.
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