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"He’s Not A Kohli-Type Character": Nasser Hussain Explains What Makes Shubman Gill Different

Rajgeeta Yadav

Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill [Source @SubbuSubash_17/X.com]Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill [Source @SubbuSubash_17/X.com]

Team India bounced back in style under the young leadership of Shubman Gill, crushing England by a massive 336 runs in the second Test at Edgbaston on Sunday, July 6. With this, India not only levelled the five-match series 1-1 but also registered their first-ever Test win at the historic Birmingham venue.

At first, things didn’t go India’s way. They lost the opening match at Headingley by five wickets, which raised some eyebrows. However, Gill and his team didn’t let the pressure get to them. Instead, they turned things around in the second Test with a stunning all-round performance. From batting to bowling, India outplayed England in every department.

One of the biggest talking points of the match was Gill’s outstanding leadership and batting. Not only did he score a record-breaking 269 runs in the first innings, but he also followed it up with another brilliant knock of 161 in the second innings. This gave him a total of 430 runs in the match, a phenomenal effort that played a big part in India’s victory.

More importantly, Gill led by example. He told his teammates that once a batter is set, they must try to score an extra 50–60 runs for the team. And he walked the talk, contributing nearly half of India’s total of 1,014 runs across both innings, the most they’ve ever scored in a Test match.

Nasser Hussain’s Take On Shubman Gill’s Captaincy

Former England captain Nasser Hussain was full of praise for Gill’s calm and composed leadership style. Speaking on Sky Sports, Hussain said that Gill isn’t like Virat Kohli, known for his fiery, passionate approach, but that’s actually a good thing in this context.

According to Hussain,  “I do think that was important. I do think he was more visible. It's very easy when you lose, you sort of blame the captain and say, Oh, he went missing. And when you win, you go, oh, he's a great captain. But I do think just watching from up above, which we often do in a commentary box, at the Headingly game, there was a lot of input from a lot of people, and it was like, who's in charge? 

Hussain also noted how Gill looked completely in control during the match, constantly moving fielders and making key decisions. 

You look down today, and there was a, he was in charge, and the camera often went in him, and he was moving fielders around. He still needs help from Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul or whatever, but he looked in charge," Hussain said on Sky Sports.


"He's always going to be calm and composed. You just listened to that interview. He's got a very low heartbeat. So he's not going to be a Kohli-type character. He's got a low heartbeat, but that can help. Look at this crowd here today. Look at all of India watching on. You may need someone just to calm the team,” he added.

With the series now tied at 1-1, all eyes turn to Lord’s, where the third Test begins on Thursday, July 10. Both teams will be looking to take the lead, and given the form Gill is in, both as a captain and as a batter, India has every reason to feel confident.