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Shubman Gill's Captaincy Debut: Tactical Lessons From India vs England 1st Test At Headingley 2025

Probuddha Bhattacharjee

Shubman Gill [Source: @prissha16/x.com]Shubman Gill [Source: @prissha16/x.com]

Shubman Gill's maiden Test as captain showcased both promise and growing pains at Headingley. In the first innings of the Leeds Test, the right-handed batter scored 147 runs and increased his credentials as a batter. It also added to his CV as a captain, leading from the front. 

However, the tactical nuances of bowling management while defending 371 runs provided valuable learning opportunities that could go a long way in shaping his captaincy journey.

Leeds: A Lesson In Test Captaincy

During the second innings of the match, Mohammad Siraj was absent from the bowling crease between the 41st and the 81st overs. Also, towards the end of the chase, Bumrah was unable to bowl in the last 17 overs. The tactical decisions Gill made during this phase, while understandable for a captain leading for the first time, offer crucial insights into resource management. The bowling chases that Gill made when the team was under pressure quite justifiably indicate that he is still going through a learning curve.

An experienced leader like Kohli or Rohit would have sent for Bumrah and, if his body did permit, would have requested him to come back to bowl in the crucial stage. However, no such step was taken by Gill, which suggests that he needs to evolve as a leader who can inspire his players to give their best in situations like those.

Building Captaincy Foundations

The most glaring mistake appears to be the management of Siraj in the second innings. The pacer had to wait for 40 overs before getting the red cherry again in his hand. This turned out to be a critical mistake and, combined with a plethora of chances going down, resulted in Gill ending on the losing side on his Test captaincy debut.

The Edgbaston Test: Apply What You Learned

Jasprit Bumrah will most likely miss the second Test of the series owing to workload management. As the team prepares for the Edgbaston match, Gill's strategic awareness becomes crucial. Leading an inexperienced bowling attack will demand an aggressive and proactive style of captaincy, which was not prominent at Leeds.

The young Indian skipper's batting excellence is unquestionable, and his tactical instincts will gradually sharpen with experience. The nuances and complexities of Test captaincy cannot be mastered overnight, but Gill's willingness to learn from the Headingley experience will determine his trajectory as a leader. The Edgbaston Test offers immediate opportunities for Gill to apply the learnings from Leeds, building a promising foundation where individual brilliance can evolve into strategic mastery through natural development rather than dramatic reinvention.