Ravi Shastri, the former head coach for India, wasn’t pleased with Shubman Gill’s captaincy during Day 3 of the 4th Test against England in Manchester on Friday. His remarks came after England reached 544/7 at the end of the day, giving them a solid 186-run lead in the first innings.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Shastri questioned Gill’s decision to bring Washington Sundar into the attack so late. Sundar did manage to dismiss Ollie Pope and Harry Brook in quick order, offering India a bit of hope. Shastri also wondered why Gill gave the new ball to Anshul Kamboj, who was playing his first Test match, suggesting it eased the pressure on England.
Shastri said that Sundar took four wickets in the last game but brought him on after 67 overs. What message did that send to the player? According to him, someone who has already proven himself should have been bowling within the first 30 to 35 overs, not after 69. He felt that their tactics were off and that Siraj, not Kamboj, should have taken the new ball because it’s his first Test match. Shastri said that England was able to relax. He also said the bouncer tactic was implemented too late; they should have tried it the previous day to see if they could make any progress. He concluded that strategically, they were missing something.
He remains optimistic that Gill will grow as a captain but believes he needs guidance from head coach Gautam Gambhir and the team’s experienced players.
Shastri drew a comparison to when Virat Kohli took over, noting that Kohli was extremely aggressive, sometimes requiring the dressing room to calm him down, especially regarding field placements. He emphasized the needs to respect the conditions and set fields accordingly. He thinks that team management is now becoming very important in helping someone like Shubman Gill during the first year.
Shastri also mentioned that the senior players need to take responsibility and be able to set their own fields and provide their input. According to him, bowlers should also come up with ideas, suggesting strategies to the captain based on their experience, like how Stokes thinks about disrupting the flow and finding ways to break partnerships.