Sanjay Manjrekar, a former Indian cricketer, believes Virat Kohli would have performed differently than Shubman Gill in the conditions offered to the Indian team during the first Test of the ongoing five-match series against England. The Shubman Gill-led team lost by five wickets despite having a proficient pace-bowling attack defending the target in cloudy conditions on the final day in Leeds.
Manjrekar said that Gill & Co. had planned the circumstances at Headingley and did not react enough as the game went. The former Mumbai batter also compared Gill’s attitude and captaincy core to that of former India captain Virat Kohli, drawing parallels between their different abilities to lead the team, even in the most trying of circumstances.
“Overcast conditions, I know the ball wasn’t doing much, but they anticipated the English strategy and prepared a far too conservative pitch. “I hate to use Virat Kohli as a comparison because it’s unfair to the young man, but you can just imagine Virat Kohli in that situation,” Manjrekar said on Star Sports.
Kohli would’ve demonstrated to the opposition that he’s attempting to get them out: Sanjay Manjrekar
While discussing what Kohli would have done if he had captained the team, Manjrekar advised Gill to avoid playing it safe when establishing fields in the future.
“Whether they took wickets or not, Kohli would have demonstrated to the opposition that he’s trying to get them out. Gill is not that type of personality or captain. But maybe don’t be so defensive and preemptive,” Manjrekar remarked.
England scored 4.61 and 4.54 runs per over in their first and second innings, respectively. These figures were much higher than India’s actual run rates. One key reason for this was the hosts’ far more proactive pitch placements, as opposed to Gill’s techniques of spreading the pitch out. Despite being exceptionally outstanding with the bat, the 25-year-old appeared to be perplexed about his tactics and strategies heading into the match.
Gill’s batting performance in the Test was uneven.
While he top-scored in the first innings with 147 off 227, he was bowled for 8 off 16 in the second. In the second Test, the skipper is expected to take the lead with the bat and on the pitch. It is worth noting that India has lost seven of the eight Tests played at Edgbaston so far, and they are looking for their first win at the historic site, which provides bounce for pacers.
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