KL Rahul and Shubman Gill (Source:@EngLiterature_E,x.com)
India’s defeat in the 1st Test against England at Headingley has sparked intense criticism, with former Indian spinner Murali Kartik pointing out leadership crisis in the team. Kartik, suggested that India lost grip on the match during the final day due to a lack of centralised command, with multiple players seemingly taking charge on the field.
In what was Shubman Gill’s debut as India’s Test captain, the 25-year-old found himself not only battling a charged-up English batting lineup but also what Kartik called a 'visible power imbalance' within his own team.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Kartik said, “There were moments when Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul were setting the field while Shubman Gill was right there. It looked like three people were captaining at once.”
India Let Slip A Strong Position
Despite scoring massive 835 runs across two innings, including a commanding first-innings total of 471, India ended up on the losing side as England successfully chased down 371 runs in the fourth innings. This turnaround, Kartik believes, was enabled not just by England's aggressive play, but also India’s confusion and lack of clear on-field leadership.
Kartik expressed dismay at the scenario, saying: “We can look for excuses but the problem is that we scored 835 runs, one bowler picked up five wickets, and despite that, we lost. I felt as if there were too many captains. KL Rahul was suggesting things, Rishabh Pant was suggesting things, and Gill, the actual captain, was doing it too. I could not understand these signals being made. There is one captain.”
It is important to mention that on the personal front, Shubman Gill had a solid outing with the bat. He scored a fluent 147 in the first innings, becoming only the fifth Indian captain to score a century on Test debut. His partnerships with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant helped India post a commanding total early on.
The second Test will be played at Edgbaston, Birmingham, starting on July 2; the pressure will be on Gill not only to produce another solid batting performance but also to showcase his authority as captain.
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