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"Pushing Someone Into Deep Sea...," Gambhir Stands By Shubman Gill Amid Captaincy Criticism

Debashis Sarangi

Gautam Gambhir with Shubman Gill [Source: @ASHUTOSHAB10731/X]Gautam Gambhir with Shubman Gill [Source: @ASHUTOSHAB10731/X]

India's head coach Gautam Gambhir defended captain Shubman Gill amid criticism following India's heartbreaking defeat in the first Test against England. On Tuesday, India suffered a painful loss, as the Englishmen crushed them by five wickets and accomplished a historic chase at Headingley. 

Riding on Ben Duckett's sensational hundred and valuable knocks from Zak Crawley, Joe Root and Jamie Smith, the hosts chased down a massive 371-run target, taking a crucial 1-0 lead in the series. 

However, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir reckons the Indian fans should be patient and back the team and skipper Shubman Gill after the initial setback. 

Gambhir Backs Shubman Gill Amid Backlash

In the post-match press conference, Gautam Gambhir stated that captaining the Test side for the first time in foreign soil would be challenging for Gill on the England tour. 

Thus, he urged the Indian cricket fanatics to be a little bit patient while applauding the youngster's sublime ton in the first innings and keeping faith in his abilities to bounce back as a leader in the upcoming matches. 

"Look, first Test match, obviously, there are nerves. It's a great honour. As he's already mentioned, captaining the Test side, not many people get that opportunity, and he was phenomenal. More importantly, I think the way he batted in the first inning, obviously, I'm sure he would have had his own nerves, being the captain for the first time, and then getting a hundred," Gambhir was quoted as saying by TOI. 


"So, everything that it takes for him to be a successful captain, we've got to just give him time. We're still very early days, and he's only the captain for the first time. I'm sure he's going to get better. And these are tough places to captain. It's like pushing someone into the deep sea, and I'm sure he's going to come out as a proper professional," he added. 

Shubman Gill's Topsy-Turvy Outing In Leeds Test

Indian captain Shubman Gill had a fantastic start to the England tour, slamming a flamboyant century in the first innings of the Headingley Test. 

However, the right-hander managed only eight runs in his subsequent outing while some of his tactical calls earned him a lot of flak during England's memorable run-chase. However, considering his abilities and potential, Gill is expected to evolve as a skipper as the series progresses.