Leeds, England: On the eve of the Test series against England, new Indian captain Shubman Gill has unequivocally stated his team’s aggressive intent: they will prioritize taking 20 wickets, even if it means playing with “four proper bowlers” and potentially sacrificing some batting depth. This signals a clear departure from the more cautious approach seen in their recent Australia tour.
“You can’t win a Test match without taking 20 wickets, no matter how many runs you have scored, so that has been one of our key discussion points,” Gill declared, indicating a philosophical alignment with previous successful Indian Test teams under Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri and Rohit Sharma-Rahul Dravid. He suggested that the team might field “pure batters” alongside a bowling all-rounder and “three to four premier fast bowlers or proper bowlers.”
India’s recent series in Australia saw them field only three full-time quicks, with the fifth bowler’s duties split between Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar, seemingly due to concerns about batting depth in Shardul Thakur’s absence. With Gill now at the helm as full-time captain, the team appears poised for a more attacking bowling strategy.
The Philosophy’s Test: Selection and Resilience
This aggressive philosophy will face its first test at the toss, as India plans to make a final decision on their playing XI’s last one or two spots on match morning. Interestingly, the main fast bowlers did not bowl in the nets on the eve of the Test, with only Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav getting a run, while most batters had a final hit.
The second, and perhaps more significant, test will come if India faces a defeat. Gill’s commitment to this wicket-taking strategy will be scrutinized if, for instance, a fourth quick like Shardul Thakur fails to deliver or if the batting struggles down the order. The team’s response in such a scenario will be telling.
Gill’s Personal Goals and Leadership Approach
Gill, naturally, is determined to make this approach work. While it places extra responsibility on the batsmen, it also implies they might need to score or chase fewer runs. Personally, Gill is keen to establish himself as a captain who delivers runs. Despite having the selectors’ backing and discussions with both Kohli and Rohit during the IPL, there might be some pressure on him to replicate his overseas efficiency, especially after his impressive debut series in Australia in 2020-21.
Gill’s goals are far from modest. “Honestly, when I want to go out there and bat, I just want to play as a batsman, not really want to think that I’m the captain of the team because I think that sometimes puts too much pressure on you,” he explained. “Whenever I’m going out there, I want to play as a batsman and want to dominate the opposition and be the best batsman in the series, and that’s what I’m trying to look at.”
Undeterred by the increased attention that comes with captaincy, Gill views it as a continuous challenge. “Whenever I’m playing, I always think the opposition is trying to challenge me… So I don’t think it’s going to be any different,” he remarked.
