Gill's Captaincy Debut Marred by Headingley Defeat: Lacks Kohli's On-Field Command, Critics Say

Saturday - 28/06/2025 00:20
England defeated India by five wickets in the first Test at Headingley, chasing down a target of 371, with Ben Duckett scoring a remarkable 149. Shubman Gill's captaincy debut faced scrutiny from former captains Nasser Hussain and Ravi Shastri, who questioned his on-field leadership and tactical decisions.

England clinched a resounding five-wicket victory over India in the first Test at Headingley, successfully chasing a target of 371. Ben Duckett's spectacular 149 propelled the hosts to a memorable win. The match also marked Shubman Gill's debut as Test captain for India, despite the team recording five individual centuries. Former captains Nasser Hussain and Ravi Shastri have voiced concerns about Gill's leadership and tactical acumen.

Shubman Gill faces scrutiny after India's Test loss.

Shubman Gill faces scrutiny after India's Test loss.

Nasser Hussain drew comparisons between Gill and his predecessors, highlighting differences in their on-field presence.

"I thought I saw someone just finding his way, honestly. You've got to be very careful in the first Test match, the people he's taken over from, Kohli, and then Rohit Sharma. I thought he didn't quite have that on-field aura as the names I mentioned there. You look down on those two previous names, and you immediately see who was in charge of India," Hussain commented on Sky Sports.

India Sweat it out at the Nets in Birmingham Ahead of the 2nd Test vs England

India prepares for the second Test against England.

Hussain observed that Gill seemed to share responsibilities with several senior players, a common occurrence for new captains. "I looked down from the press box, the commentary position, there were a lot of captains; it was a bit captaincy by committee, which can happen in your early days as a leader because you're still senior players like Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul want to try and help you out as much as possible. I thought he followed the ball a lot. I thought he was reactive as opposed to proactive," he explained.

He also questioned India's bowling strategies, particularly the utilization of Ravindra Jadeja, suggesting that Gill could have taken a more assertive role in guiding the experienced spinner.

"A word with Jadeja, maybe as a young captain, to go to such an experienced spinner, and go, you do know the rough is out there. Ravi Shastri and Mark Butcher are up there, going, show us where that ball is pitching, and it was pitching nowhere near the rough," Hussain elaborated.

Hussain concluded by commenting on the match's outcome and the apparent lack of communication regarding crucial bowling tactics. "Ravi was saying, a bit slow, a bit wide, bowl in the rough. I was surprised that not one of the senior players or captains went to Jadeja and said, Can we go a little bit wider. But Ravi's right, they lost the game for two things that he couldn't control," he added.

As India looks forward to the second Test, questions are being raised about Gill's tactical instincts and his capacity to evolve into the leadership position as the series progresses.

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