A Captain’s Test

IT IS A CALL based more on assump­tion than anything else. Potential rather than performance. For the longest time, Shubman Gill has been tipped to be the poster boy of Indian cricket. The next big su­perstar. From his U-19 days, he was the one with extraordinary potential. The next in line. The truth is he hasn’t performed to potential yet. In the SENA countries, his record is below average. And yet, he is the new Indian skip­per and will be leading a relatively inexperi­enced team to England. It is indeed a choice based more on potential than performance and that’s what makes it interesting.

Shubman is indeed one of the more talented cricketers going round. Pleasing to the eye, Michael Clarke calls him the next all-format superstar. “He is very good and is a long-term prospect for India. See him bat and you know. Captaincy should help his game as you have seen with the Gujarat team in the IPL,” said Clarke.

It is true that Shubman flourished as leader in Gujarat. After taking over from Hardik Pandya, things weren’t easy for him. Hardik had won them the IPL and the move to Mumbai was anything but smooth. With Kane Williamson in the side, Gujarat did have the option of going to the legendary Kiwi. They did not. Much like the Indian selectors, they opted for potential and they haven’t regretted it. Shardul Thakur, making a comeback to the side after a year, said it well, “Shubman is hugely talented and we all know it. But what is interesting is how he is always so focused during practice. You see him and you know this man has something special in him. I am sure he will do a very good job for India as captain.”

With Gujarat, three things have stood out in his captaincy. First, the decisiveness. He has been clear in his decision-mak­ing and has backed his players to the hilt. Sai Sudharsan, expected to bat at number three for India and Gill’s opening partner at Gujarat, alluded to this quality. “Shubman will give you space. He will allow you the freedom you need and that’s what stands out in him. Batting with him has been a pleasure and I have learnt a lot in the process,” said Sudharsan.

The second thing is his ability to soak in pressure. He has hardly ever looked flustered in IPL and that’s always a good sign for a captain. There will be multiple occasions in England when Shubman will feel the pressure and this ability to stay calm should work well for him.

Finally, his performance hasn’t dipped with the captaincy coming his way. Rather, he looks a better batter and that’s something India will love to see in England.

What has been his problem so far? Why has he not delivered in the SENA countries? Despite all his potential, why is he an under­achiever still?

The main issue has been temperament. On multiple occasions, Gill has looked in and poised for a big score when he has just lost concentration and given his wicket away. Take the Sydney Test in January 2025. India was batting first and Gill had done all the hard yards before lunch on day one. He had successfully negotiated the new ball in dif­ficult batting conditions and had started to look comfortable when Pat Cummins went to Nathan Lyon for the over before lunch. On a wicket where there was nothing for the spinners, it was just one of those calls. The regulation last over ahead of a break. Gill, for no reason, danced down the track to Lyon coming from round the wicket and got stumped. It was a basic mistake and went a long way in impacting India’s fortunes in the match and the series.

Sydney, may I say, wasn’t an aberration. It has happened time and again with Shubman Gill that he has looked set for a big score and just lost concentration. Maybe that’s where captaincy will help. He will need to be switched on a lot more and it could well make a big difference to him as a batter.

The good thing about Shubman is that he knows his strengths and also what he needs to do.

“Rahul [Dravid] Sir has been my coach since the India U-19 days and also in India A. There is one basic advice from him which I always keep in mind. He would tell me that come what may, never change your basic game that got you success. He said that if we want to get technically more solid, all the adjustments that we make should be within the confines of our basic game. Rahul Sir also told me that if I change my game, it won’t be natural anymore and may not provide success. His focus has always been on the mental make-up while we face the challenge posed by the best,” Gill had once said. And while speaking, he gave an impression that he had not only heard what his guru had said but also internalised it.

Some might say he has a technical flaw against the moving ball. The truth is that every batter has some flaw. Steve Waugh, for example, always had an issue with the short ball. But then he scored multiple hundreds when the bowlers tried to pepper him with short balls. For him, it was more in the mind. A steely determination of sorts. That’s what India will need from Shubman in England. His technical flaws aren’t such that they can’t be masked or overcome. What is need­ed more is how he shapes up to the challeng­es of captaincy mentally. Does he believe that with this inexperienced side he can chal­lenge England in England? Make the most of this opportunity and create a legacy?

Each time in the past when Shubman has toured England, he didn’t face the pressure of performance as the world wasn’t watching. Rather, everyone was watching Kohli and Rohit. And needless to say, the English boys would have done their homework against Gill. All we would want is Virat Kohli’s heir apparent to be ready for the task come June 20 and the first Test match in Leeds. Shubman has miles to travel and many mile­stones to reach. He will have his share of dis­appointments, but from what we have seen this IPL, there is no reason to doubt his abili­ty. That’s what the selectors have seen while appointing him skipper. They know he is capable but now it is for him to validate the faith. And in doing so, he would have helped Indian cricket scale greater heights just as Sachin and Kohli did.

Hardik PandyaIndian captainIndian cricketperformanceShubman Gill