Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik stated that Shubman Gill is thriving under the pressure of leadership in his debut series as captain against England. Although Gill has faced a challenging start to his captaincy stint, the added responsibility seems to have elevated his batting performances, with the young skipper now approaching the 700-run mark in the five-match series.
Gill walked out to bat under immense pressure after a series of low scores, including a failure in the first innings of the fourth Test at Old Trafford. With India reeling at 0 for 2 in their second innings and England riding high after posting 669 and securing a 311-run lead, the odds were stacked against the visitors.
Gill led from the front with a composed unbeaten 78, his fourth fifty of the series, weathering early pressure before counterattacking. Despite criticising some of his decisions, Dinesh Karthik lauded Gill for stepping up when it mattered.
“I think he’s enjoying the fact that he is a captain because he is able to control the narrative in a lot of ways. Did he get his captaincy right? I don’t think so. There are areas where he will definitely look back and say, ‘I could have done this better’. Starting from the playing XI he chose, to the kind of bowling changes he made,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
“Middle is more peaceful than dressing room” – Vaughan on Gill’s pressure
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan believes that the ideal place for Shubman Gill right now is out in the middle, as staying in the dressing room would only expose him to constant questions about strategy and selection. Gill, who is leading the side, has faced growing criticism from fans and media due to signs of fatigue and debatable team choices.
“Gill and KL Rahul’s technique has been incredible throughout. There was one drive from Shubman Gill that went quite wide and Dawson should have taken that, and that really was the only time I looked down and thought that’s a technical fault that the partnership produced,” Vaughan said on Cricbuzz.
“He’s (Gill) a human being. The Indian selection, this week, they got it wrong. Sometimes as a captain, you can sleep on that every night and go, ‘Oh, I’ve got it wrong, I’ve got the wrong team out there’. As a captain, if you are sitting in the dressing room, you’ve got people asking you questions or the coach speaking to you. The most peaceful place is actually out in the middle,” he added.
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