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"Virat Kohli Was Other Way Round": Ravi Shastri Says Captain Shubman Gill Lacking Ideas

Akshita Patel

Shastri compares Gill to Kohli [Source: @JassPreet96, @ViratKohli38129, @SkyCricket/X.com]Shastri compares Gill to Kohli [Source: @JassPreet96, @ViratKohli38129, @SkyCricket/X.com]

Former India coach Ravi Shastri shared his thoughts on Shubman Gill’s captaincy during the ongoing Manchester Test against England. He made an interesting comparison with Virat Kohli’s leadership style, saying the latter was overly aggressive and had to be calmed down, while Gill’s approach is exactly the opposite.

Gill’s leadership in his debut series as Test captain is being tested and questioned extensively. During Days 3 and 4 of the fourth Test, the skipper was unable to lead his bowlers as England piled up 669 runs on the board and a lead of 311 runs.

Ravi Shastri Compares Virat Kohli’s Captaincy To Shubman Gill

Following India’s listless performance with the ball in Manchester, captain Shubman Gill faced heat from fans and critics. Former head coach Ravi Shastri, speaking on Sky Sports, said that Gill made a few tactical errors that helped England reach such a big score.

To explain his point, Shastri compared Gill to Virat Kohli, saying the latter was overly aggressive to a point where the management had to calm him down. But Gill is opposite. He ran out of ideas on the field and appeared lost.

 "I'll give an example of Virat. He was the other way round as far as Gill [is concerned]. He was ultra-aggressive, where you had to, at times, calm him down from the dressing room. It was as if he wanted five wickets every session. That doesn't happen. Sometimes, you've got to respect conditions and set fields accordingly," Shastri said. 

Regardless of what transpired, Shastri added that Gill is still in his early days as a captain and will learn with time. He stressed that senior players in the team must support the captain by sharing their inputs and making fielding or bowling changes when needed. 

"That's why team management becomes crucial. For Shubman Gill, it should be [the case] for his first year. The senior team members, they have to start being accountable, they have to have their own ideas. That should come from the bowlers as well, rather than the captain going to them. They've played 50-60 Test matches. That's what Stokes does; he wants to disrupt things and find ways to break partnerships," he added.

Gill Fought Back With The Bat

After a disastrous day on the field, captain Shubman Gill led from the front with the bat. After India lost 2 wickets in the first over with no runs on the board, Gill stitched a defining 188-run partnership with KL Rahul. Both Gill and Rahul saved India from a humiliating collapse. 

Not only that, Gill, who scored his 4th hundred of the tour, has crossed the 700-run mark in the series, becoming only the third Indian batter to accumulate 700+ runs in a Test series.