"Virat Kohli Would Have Shown The Opposition...": Ex-India Star Compares Shubman Gill's Captaincy
Shubman Gill failed to impress many cricket experts and former players with his leadership as India lost the first Test to England by 5 wickets at Headingley.
- Shubman Gill lost the first Test as India captain against England at Headingley Leeds.
- Gill scored a century in the match but India lost by 5 wickets in the five-match series.
- Sanjay Manjrekar criticised Gill's defensive captaincy compared to Virat Kohli's style.
It was a tough start for Shubman Gill to his India captaincy career. Leading the side in the Test format that too in an away match in England, Gill failed to impress many cricket experts and former players with his leadership as the visitors lost the first Test of the five-match series by 5 wickets at Headingley, Leeds. A game which seemed to be heading towards a draw or a possible Indian victory was turned on its head on Day 4. Gill also scored a century in the game but it went in vain.
Former India player Sanjay Manjrekar compared the leadership of Gill to that of Virat Kohli, the most successful Test captain of the side. Kohli, who called time on his Test career in May this year, led India in 68 matches and won 40 of them. The team lost 17 games under his captaincy while drawing 11.
What made Kohli special was the energy that he used to spread in the team. He, himself being truly energetic, would get into the skin of the opposition, thus making a game of Test cricket much more than just a normal match. His efforts would often give results, playing a crucial role in India's victories.
While talking about Gill's captaincy in the first game, Manjrekar feels that the attacking field was missing, unlike to that during Kohli's reign.
"Overcast conditions, I know the ball wasn't doing too much, but they pre-empted the English approach and had a far too defensive field. I hate to bring Virat Kohli as a comparison because it's unfair on the young man, but you can just imagine Virat Kohli in that situation," Manjrekar said on Star Sports.
"Whether they would have got wickets or not, Kohli would have shown the opposition that he's trying to get them out. Gill is not that kind of personality, nor that kind of captain. But maybe don't go so defensive, pre-empting things," he added.
After Kohli left India's Test captaincy, Rohit Sharma took up the role. He too retired from the format in May this year and that saw the Indian selection committee appoint a new leader in Test cricket. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant has been named the deputy of Gill.
India Cricket Team
England Cricket Team
Virat Kohli