Shubman Gill’s captaincy in the IPL for the Gujarat Titans has been appreciated by many, but his start as the leader of Team India in Test cricket hasn’t been ideal. Captaining in Tests is anything but easy, something Gill too must have found out in the opening Test defeat to England in Leeds earlier this week.
However, a young captain like him should be given sufficient time, while one also needs to be patient instead of judging him too early, feels Michael Clarke.
“We’ve got to be patient. Shubman is a young Test captain. I watched him through the IPL, and I thought he did a really good job. So, keep faith and be patient with him,” Clarke, under whose leadership Australia won the 2015 ODI World Cup and blanked England 5-0 in the 2013-14 Ashes, told select media on the sidelines of the Bengal Pro T20 League’s trophy tour on Thursday.
Gill was also criticised in some quarters for being a little too defensive in his field placements, even when England had lost half their side and still had to get 69 runs for
victory on the final day at Headingley. Clarke, though, doesn’t want to be sceptical
towards the 25-year-old and his moves.
“I don’t think anybody can judge. If you’re not there, you’re not watching it close enough to be sceptical of his captaincy.
“What I’ve seen about him as a captain, I feel he did very well in the IPL. Tactically, he’s good. And as I said, he’s a young player, and you’ve just got to be patient and give him some time,” Clarke explained.
Barring Jasprit Bumrah, the other Indian bowlers were mediocre for most of the first Test. Not being too harsh on Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and the like, Clarke too believes India should draft chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav into the XI for the next
Test in Birmingham, beginning on July 2.
“The (Leeds) wicket was pretty good for batting. So, I don’t think you can be too hard on the bowlers. Both teams found it quite hard to bowl on that wicket, particularly against the top-order batters.
“But I’d like to see Kuldeep Yadav come into the XI. I think that will be defining,” Clarke stated. “He’s an X-factor. He’s bowling well and ready to be a part of the Test XI. I think he’ll do well if he gets selected.
“They (India) might play two spinners, and you can still keep (Ravindra) Jadeja, but you’ve got to get Kuldeep into that XI... I’d be keeping faith in this Indian team. I think they can turn it around and win the second Test.”