The Indian team lost to England in the first Test in Headingley, Leeds. The hosts completed a record-breaking pursuit, giving them an early 1-0 lead in the series.
Fans and experts are questioning Shubman Gill’s tactical blunders as the new Test captain.
While the 25-year-old batter has received a lot of criticism for his performance, head coach Gautam Gambhir has defended him as the leader of the pack, stating that this is his first game as captain, and there would be nervousness. Gambhir also discussed his performance in the first innings, when the outstanding top-order batsman struck an astounding century, helping the team reach 471 in the first innings. Gambhir eventually asked the commentators and fans to give him some time to adjust to his new role as red-ball commander.
“Look, it’s the first Test match, so clearly there are nerves. It is a huge honour. As he has stated, captaining the Test side is a rare opportunity, and he performed admirably. More significantly, I believe the way he batted in the first inning, obviously, he would have had his own anxieties, being captain for the first time, and then getting a hundred,” Gautam Gambhir said at the post-match news conference.
“So, whatever it takes for him to be a good captain, we just need to give him time. It’s still early days, and he’s only the captain for the first time. I’m confident he’ll improve. And these are difficult locations to captain. It’s like pushing someone into the deep end, and I’m confident he’ll emerge as a true professional,” the 43-year-old India coach continued.
Speaking of the upcoming matches of the series, the second encounter is scheduled to be played at Edgbaston in Birmingham from July 2 to July 6. While the hosts will be looking to extend their lead, the Indian team will want to make a big comeback after facing defeat in the opening game. The last game played at this venue saw England defeat India to draw the series 2-2 on the tour of 2021-22.
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