‘Tough for Shubman Gill … ‘: Gautam Gambhir opens up ahead of ODI series vs Australia | Cricket News
Shubman Gill has “already passed his toughest test as captain in England,” asserted India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Tuesday. (AP Photo)
NEW DELHI: Shubman Gill has “already passed his toughest test as captain in England,” asserted India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Tuesday, lauding the young leader for earning the dressing room’s respect by “saying and doing the right things.” Turning 44 on the same day, Gambhir had more than one reason to celebrate, with India completing a Test series sweep over the West Indies — Gill’s first series triumph as captain.Asked how he is managing the 26-year-old, who was recently handed ODI captaincy and will start in the role with an away series against Australia from Sunday, Gambhir was prompt in his response.“(By) just allowing him to be himself. I think no one has done him a favour by appointing him the Test captain or (the) one-day captain. I think he deserves every bit of it,” Gambhir said.“I think he’s worked hard. He has already passed his toughest test as captain — that was in England, five Tests away from home in tough conditions against a quality team,” he added, referring to the tightly contested series that ended 2-2, with each match fought intensely over five days.Leading in such a high-pressure assignment spanning over two months, it couldn’t have gotten tougher for Gill, Gambhir asserted.“I know it’s tough for him…and I’ve said it many times, that England was probably the toughest Test for him. Five Test matches over the course of two, two and a half months, against a quality England side. What more could he have faced?” he asked.“Sometimes we only keep talking about the captain, but the way the team has responded to him and to his leadership is equally important,” Gambhir added.Gill led by example with 754 runs during the tour of England, and Gambhir noted that despite his young age, the star batter communicates clearly.“You’ve got to give credit to the entire group in that dressing room. You do earn respect by scoring runs, but you also earn respect by saying the right things, and doing the right things. I think your actions should be more than any other thing, not just the performances. He’s done phenomenally well, and so has the group,” he said.On India’s overall prospects in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle, Gambhir said he isn’t fretting about the 2027 final.“For me, I am not looking ahead at what is going to happen in the World Test Championship final in 2027. That is still a long, long way away. I think, staying in the present is very important. It was important for us to win this series at home. More importantly, I think we have got a very busy schedule. Hopefully, we can keep continuing from here.”On a lighter note, would he consider having a mental conditioning coach or trainer to support Gill, who is seen as an all-format captain going forward? The usually straight-faced Gambhir cracked a smile.“First and foremost, I need one,” he quipped.“When the team wins, everyone is in a good space but when it doesn’t win, I need to keep them in a good space,” he added.
