Published: Jul 22, 2025, 04:21 PM (IST)
Edited: Jul 22, 2025, 04:21 PM (IST)
Indian captain Shubman Gill faced heavy criticism after the team lost the third Test against England at Lord’s. Gill had scored 430 runs in the second Test at Edgbaston, but India collapsed while chasing a target of 193. According to former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar, Gill was visibly shaken by personal sledges from England players. He also said that Virat Kohli would have elevated his performance under similarly stressful circumstances, which highlighted the difference in temperament between Gill and Kohli.
“When Gill walked out to bat on Day 4, I expected England to give it back to him. After all, he had lost his temper earlier, and that’s part of the game. What disappointed me, though, was how it seemed to affect Shubman Gill. When something similar happened with Virat Kohli, he would get even more fired up and become a better batter. But with Gill, the effect wasn’t the same. He came out looking tentative,” Sanjay Manjrekar told JioHotstar.
“Some of the sledging by English players included personal attacks. This might have been unfamiliar territory for Gill, especially considering that Indian players today often receive a friendly reception from touring sides. But Gill didn’t seem up for the challenge. The way he batted reflected that, and I have no doubt there’s a connection between the sledging and his uncertainty at the crease,” he added.
Manjrekar appreciated Gill’s leadership up to that point but suggested that he should strengthen his temperament to establish a unique individual.
“Gill is a young captain, and he has already surpassed expectations, both with the bat and as a leader. The scoreline might be close, but India has won a Test match, and that’s credit to how he has gone about it. This eight-day break comes at a perfect time for him. He has good people around him, and his father, more than anyone, would know what kind of personality Shubman really is, whether he’s a potential Virat Kohli or Dhoni, or somewhere in between,” Manjrekar said.
“I’m guessing somewhere in between. He has to find his own path now, a path that enhances both, his leadership and his batting. And, if there is anything coming in the way of either, he’s got to quickly let go of it. In the first Test, he was leaning heavily on Rishabh Pant and others. In the second, he started asserting himself, and the results followed. Now, after this little setback in the third Test, we might see the best of Shubman Gill, the captain, in Manchester. Hopefully, we’ll also see the best of Shubman Gill, the batter,” he concluded.
All eyes were on Shubman Gill as the series headed into its crucial fourth Test in Manchester – not only as a batter, but as a leader who was shaping his own legacy.
