"He needs to score a bit more runs when it's seaming and swinging": Sourav Ganguly urges Shubman Gill to step up as captain, batter in testing English conditions

India Gazette

10 hours ago

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 14 (ANI): As Shubman Gill takes on the mantle of captaincy in India's evolving Test team, former skipper Sourav Ganguly has shared his thoughts on the youngster's new role and the challenges that lie ahead in English conditions.
India is set to play a five-match test series against England starting June 20. The series will be held from June 20 to August 4 with matches scheduled at Headingley in Leeds, Edgbaston in Birmingham, Lord's and The Oval in London, and Old Trafford in Manchester.
Ganguly, known for grooming young talent during his captaincy era, expressed confidence in Gill's potential but also stressed the need for technical improvement, particularly in the longer format of the game.
'Wishing him all the best. I am sure he can work on his Test match batting. He is a top-order batsman,' Ganguly told Boria Majumdar of Revsportz.
The current Indian Test squad reflects a significant shift from the experienced core of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ajinkya Rahane to a newer generation featuring Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, and Karun Nair, alongside Gill. Ganguly highlighted the changing dynamics of Indian cricket, noting, 'There is no Kohli, no Rohit Sharma, no Ajinkya Rahane... it's absolutely amazing - how things change over a period is unbelievable.'
Now one of the senior-most figures in the team, Gill has to lead both as a captain and as a key batter in challenging conditions. England's swinging and seaming pitches present a stiff test, particularly early in the innings. Ganguly emphasized the importance of Gill adapting his game accordingly.
'These are not conditions where you just hit through the line. It's going to seam, swing, the new ball will be different. There can be a time when India is 10 for 2, and he has to come and play the new ball, so the application will be different,' he said.
Ganguly believes Gill must tighten his technique, especially when playing the moving ball outside the off stump.
'Shubman needs to score a bit more runs in these conditions when it's seaming and swinging. It is going to be a bit difficult upfront with the new ball. Batting at 100 for 2 and 20 for 4 are two different things, so he has to get the defence right, learn how to leave deliveries outside the off stump,' he added.
He also pointed out the need for a front-foot approach in English conditions, a contrast from back-foot play that might work in Australia or South Africa.
'England is a place where you need to be on the front foot quite a bit. It's not Australia or South Africa, where you can hang on the back foot and still play,' he noted.
'In New Zealand and England, it's going to swing and seam, so you've got to be on the front foot and have a good defence. You've got to fight here, where first hour, post lunch, post tea would be different. So, you can't be 50-4 in the first two hours. You've got to be 50-1, then you are in a position to win the Test match, and I think that's where India needs to be,' he said. (ANI)