Latest news with #GautamGambhir
News18
12 hours ago
- Sport
- News18
IND Vs ENG: Trial By Fire For Shubman Gill And Co. As India Eye Winning Start
Last Updated: Shubman Gill, India's 37th Test captain, has a lot on his plate and much to prove. Shubman Gill. Gautam Gambhir. A new beginning. A new captain, a determined coach, some seasoned veterans, and a few new faces will strive to create an engaging narrative over the next 45 days as an evolving India faces an equally intense England in a five-Test series for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy starting Friday (June 20). Only three Indian teams – Ajit Wadekar's 1971 squad, Kapil Dev's 1986 team, and Rahul Dravid's 2007 group – have won a Test series in England in the last nine decades, which is not an encouraging statistic. Additionally, India's most dedicated long-format cricketer of the past decade, Virat Kohli, has retired from Test cricket, making the batting lineup appear slightly less experienced. For 25-year-old Gill, this series will be a trial by fire against an England side that has revolutionised Test match batting under Brendon McCullum's coaching and Ben Stokes' captaincy. Gill's selection as India's 37th Test captain is more about his potential than his past achievements as a batter and leader in the traditional format. The 'Prince' has a lot on his plate and much to prove. An unusually warm Leeds (with a maximum temperature of 29 degrees Celsius expected on Friday) and a grassy 22-yard surface at Headingley are not exactly ideal for England's famous 'Bazballers', but this series will hinge on which batting unit buckles first under pressure. England's batting lineup, with Joe Root boasting over 13,000 Test runs and 36 centuries, appears stronger on paper compared to India, whose most experienced batter is KL Rahul (58 Tests, 3257 runs). However, the presence of the exceptional Jasprit Bumrah in the Indian bowling unit levels the playing field, even if he is available for only three Tests. Despite the absence of Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who played his best Test cricket in the 2021 series, this could be India's best chance to pressure an English bowling lineup lacking the quality that James Anderson and Stuart Broad provided for two decades. An attack comprising Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, and Shoaib Bashir, with skipper Stokes complementing them, does not instill fear in the opposition. Head coach Gautam Gambhir, now the most influential figure in the Indian dressing room after Kohli and Rohit's departure, will not want his already blemished record of six defeats to worsen. This series will be a significant test of Gambhir's tactical skills. With Karun Nair's comeback appearing likely based on his presence at first slip during practice, another batting spot remains in question. Will Gambhir field an extra batter and give the talented B Sai Sudharsan his Test debut? Or will he opt for both seam-bowling all-rounders, Nitish Reddy and Shardul Thakur, to compensate for the lack of an additional specialist batter? There is also the temptation to play Kuldeep Yadav, who can turn the ball on any surface, but Ravindra Jadeja, despite his limitations as a left-arm spinner in SENA countries, is still a solid No. 7 batter. Another issue is whether T20 specialist Arshdeep Singh should be chosen as the third seamer based on conditions, or if Prasidh Krishna, who bowls faster but slightly back of length, should get the nod. Not to forget Akash Deep, who is considered an ideal partner for Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj in these conditions. Gambhir's decisions will undoubtedly define India's strategy over the next six and a half weeks. The hosts have already announced their eleven, and it is clear that Stokes and McCullum have opted for a batting-heavy lineup with Woakes coming in at No. 8. Woakes, who has a Test century against India, is a competent batter. However, much will depend on how Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett fare against Bumrah and Siraj, who can pose significant challenges. Ollie Pope, who struggled against Bumrah in the last India series, knows that Jacob Bethell is waiting in the wings. Ultimately, the Root versus Bumrah battles in three of the five matches could determine the series outcome. tags : Ben Stokes brendon mccullum England cricket team Gautam Gambhir India cricket team India vs England India vs England 2025 Shubman Gill Location : Leeds (UK) First Published: June 19, 2025, 14:25 IST News cricket IND Vs ENG: Trial By Fire For Shubman Gill And Co. As India Eye Winning Start
Indian Express
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
‘I also wanted to bat at that number': Shubman Gill on slotting in at No.4 in England series
India Test captain Shubman Gill said that after Virat Kohli retired last month, both him and head coach Gautam Gambhir felt that the 25-year-old will slot in the No.4 position in the batting lineup in the 5-match Test series against England, scheduled to start from Friday. 'After Virat Bhai retired, me and GG (Gautam Gambhir) bhai had a discussion about it and we were both clear that he wanted me to bat at No. 4 and I was also clear that I also wanted to bat at that number,' he said. Gill also revealed that he had picked the brains of both his predecessors in Kohli and Rohit Sharma during the IPL in order to prepare for the England series. 'I met both of them in the IPL and they told me about their experiences, especially here in England, and some of the challenges that we might face here,' he said. 'I think the Test series that we played against England in India (2023-24) was one of the best that I have been part of and even in that Test series, not many of our senior players were available in every match. How we went about (in) that series was the way that I think the series is also going to be,' he added. The captain once again talked on creating a 'secure' environment for his players to ensure they deliver their best. 'If we succeed in creating that environment, then I think our Test series and WTC cycle will be very successful,' he said. Gill also emphasised on giving longer ropes to deserving players. 'It's about (having) clear communication; what you want from them? Trying to assign roles, how they would want to go about their things. Having the confidence to be able to back them with their natural game (as to) how they want to play this game,' he said. 'Definitely there would be some players that you tend to give long ropes just because of their pure potential that you see. But having said that, it's all about giving them clear communication and having honest conversations with them and that's how I feel the bond of a leader and a player is (at) the best,' he added. (With agency inputs)
NDTV
13 hours ago
- Sport
- NDTV
"Don't Have Any Baggage": Shubman Gill's Big Revelation Ahead Of 1st Test vs England
A Test series win in England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa ranks as a 'bigger' achievement than an IPL title, said India's new captain Shubman Gill in Leeds on Thursday. The 25-year-old Gill said his young Indian side without superstars Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and R Ashwin will play without any 'baggage' in England with the opening Test starting here on Friday. 'Definitely the Test Series, in my opinion,' Gill replied when asked which one he will rank higher as a skipper between a Test series win in England or title in IPL where he captains Gujarat Titans. 'You don't get many opportunities as a captain to be able to come to England, maybe two (tours) if you are the best of your generation, (or) maybe three,' he said during the pre-match press conference. 'IPL comes every year and you get to have a crack at it every year. In my opinion, winning a Test Series in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa (collectively SENA countries) is bigger,' he said. Gill's side maybe lacking in experience of playing red-ball cricket in England but the skipper was unfazed. 'A lot of people talk about, you know, our side is not experienced, but there are also positives that we don't really have any baggage coming to England, because not all of the players have really been to England,' he said. 'So that could be one thing that really makes a difference for us because we wouldn't be carrying any baggage,' he added. 'The blueprint which we have got from our seniors in the last 5-10 years is that we can go and win anywhere, we will try to follow that with same confidence.' Gill said both he and head coach Gautam Gambhir felt No. 4 slot was ideal for him once Kohli retired. "After Virat Bhai retired, me and GG (Gautam Gambhir) bhai had a discussion about it and we were both clear that he wanted me to bat at No. 4 and I was also clear that I also wanted to bat at that number," he said. The captain once again harped on creating a 'secure' environment for his players to ensure they deliver their best. 'If we succeed in creating that environment, then I think our Test series and WTC cycle will be very successful,' he said. Gill also emphasised on giving longer ropes to deserving players. 'It's about (having) clear communication; what you want from them? Trying to assign roles, how they would want to go about their things. Having the confidence to be able to back them with their natural game (as to) how they want to play this game,' he said. 'Definitely there would be some players that you tend to give long ropes just because of their pure potential that you see. But having said that, it's all about giving them clear communication and having honest conversations with them and that's how I feel the bond of a leader and a player is (at) the best,' he added. Gill acknowledged he picked the brains of Kohli and Rohit during the IPL to prepare for the England tour. 'I met both of them in the IPL and they told me about their experiences, especially here in England, and some of the challenges that we might face here,' he said. 'I think the Test series that we played against England in India (2023-24) was one of the best that I have been part of and even in that Test series, not many of our senior players were available in every match. 'How we went about (in) that series was the way that I think the series is also going to be,' he said. Gill said a comparatively drier summer has forced the Indian camp to decide on their playing XI a later stage. 'We actually were waiting, this summer has been a little bit different to the other English summers and it's been a little bit dry. I was just waiting to see the wicket one last time to see the final combinations and decide on that,' he said. PTI DDV PDS PDS
News18
15 hours ago
- Sport
- News18
Litmus Test for Gambhir as India Face England in Crucial Five-Match Test Series
Team India is all set to take on England in the first Test of the much-anticipated five-match series, starting this Friday at Headingley. This marks a defining moment for Head Coach Gautam Gambhir, who is under the spotlight after a tough start to his coaching tenure — including a 3-0 whitewash in New Zealand and a defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Can Team India bounce back and turn the tide in English conditions? All eyes are on Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and the young squad as they look to start strong in this crucial overseas challenge. vs ENG, Gautam Gambhir, Team India Head Coach, Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, IND vs ENG, India vs England, Test Series 2025, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill Captain, Shubman Gill Batting, Gill at No 4, Virat Kohli Replacement, Kohli Missing Test, England Tour 2025, Indian Cricket, Gill vs England, India Playing XI, Jasprit Bumrah Support, Team India News, India Test Squad, Shubman Gill Leadership, Cricket News, Cricket Highlights, India England Tests, Headingley Test, Indian Cricket Captain,Like and subscribe to our channel and never miss a to CricketNext YouTube channel to never miss a video: CricketNext on Facebook: CricketNext on Twitter: CricketNext on Instagram: :
Time of India
a day ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Shubman Gill-led India in same situation as MS Dhoni's team during 2007 T20 World Cup: Ex-India cricketer WV Raman
Indian cricket team in a practice session ahead of the first Test against England at Headingley, Leeds. (Getty Images) in Leeds: The five Tests against England is going to be a tough assignment for new captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir . Former India cricketer WV Raman feels Gill & Co. are in the same situation as MS Dhoni 's team was back during the 2007 T20 World Cup, a tournament they won against all expectations. In an exclusive chat with Raman speaks about India's squad, the challenge of five Tests, India's ideal batting order and more. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Excerpts: Five Tests, not an easy place to tour. We haven't won a lot. Came close the last time around, but it has been a long wait to put our hands on that trophy, which will now be called the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy. It's a good thing it's a five-Test series because the side can (make a) comeback. And for a young Indian side like this, with a new captain, new vice-captain, just about everything being new there, the five-Test series is ideal. And of course, as far as the change of the trophy's name is concerned, that's up to the administrators. We got to try and get on with it. And I'm sure that it'll be a very exciting series, this one. IND vs ENG: Rishabh Pant opens up on chemistry with Shubman Gill and England challenge You mentioned new a couple of times there. New captain, new vice-captain. To start with... Shubman Gill is young, still a work-in-progress as far as Test cricket and Test batting is concerned. How do you look at Shubman Gill, the Test batter? Do you feel he is ready for the challenge - both as a batter and a captain? Now, whatever we've seen of Shubman Gill in Test cricket has given you the confidence that he's capable of performing in that format as well. He did get useful runs in the tough, hard-fought series in Australia. Of course, England can always test the best batters. But again, that was at the start of his career. And we have a Shubman Gill here who's seen a lot of things already, even though he's 25. He's got a lot of experience. He's been around for a while with the Indian team. He's been playing different formats. And he's also developed that sense of accepting responsibility and dealing with responsibility by virtue of becoming the captain of the franchisee side in the IPL. So, it's all a matter of him bringing into play the learnings that he's had over a period of time. And for a young captain, what is important is the kind of support that he gets in terms of inputs from the other experienced members in the side. And of course, to just repeat the cliché, a captain is only as good as his team. A young captain needs his team to measure up, raise the bar and perform together. And that's when a young captain will probably be capable of overcoming the challenges on a tough tour such as this. The support he gets and a captain is as good as the team. First, I'll get to the team bit. What were your initial thoughts on the squad? You think it has ticked the right boxes? Spinners, yes, we've ticked the boxes. And even batting, maybe one-half of it. It's just that the other half will depend on the slot that is provided to the batters, that's given to the batters. And the role allocation, I think that is what will depend on. It depends on who bats on which number. And also, who it is that they want to be a part of this batting unit will be very important. Because we got the likes of (Abhimanyu) Easwaran and Karun Nair who almost forced their way into the side by sheer weight of their runs over a period of time. Now, the question is the level of confidence that the team management has on these two to give them the chances first up in the series. One player you would have seen closely is Sai Sudharsan. Not mixing formats here but he is riding that recency bias after a fantastic IPL and has looked very compact. Inspires confidence with his County outings. And the way he has modelled his game to be very correct. Do you reckon he could get a look-in during this tour? No, let's not forget that Easwaran has been getting runs much higher than him over a long period of time. We have been having Easwaran as a part of the squad. We are not playing him. And that is again creating a lot of dilemma when the next selection comes up. We will have to try and reward him fully in the sense that there is no point picking him in the squad. We don't have, let's say, a player who has opened in the past, who is willing to open. There is a vacant slot at the top of the order. And here you have on the other hand, you have a player who has been opening right through his life, who has got runs every season almost. And then you pick him in the squad. When there is an opening slot which is vacant, you don't use him. I think we need to first answer that particular bit. Again, we have got somebody who is making a comeback after a long period of time. And then he is not a spring onion now. He is into his 30s. He is experienced. He is also in the best of form. Poll Will KL Rahul perform consistently in the upcoming Test series? Yes, he's experienced. No, he often tapers off. It depends on the conditions. You just mentioned Karun Nair. Someone who is coming back on good run in the domestic circuit, found his second wind, did well in the IPL on a couple of occasions, double-hundred for the India A set-up. But then one player who continues to slip under the radar is KL Rahul. He starts a series in very emphatic fashion but then kind of tapers off. How important are these nine Tests going to be for KL Rahul - five away and then four at home. Yeah, this has also happened on his last tour of England. He started off well and then he tapered down and this is something that has happened. We all know that. But again, still the fact of the matter is that he is experienced, he has got runs, he is capable of runs, he gives you the impression that he can get runs. So, he also is aware of the fact that he needs to step up as far as consistency is concerned. Now, the matter is very straightforward. You play him in the first three test matches, you see how he goes about it. Obviously, if he does well, you will continue him and then he has got to be told, yes, we are very well aware of the fact that you are talented, you have performed in all the three formats. Now, the time has come for you to up it in terms of consistency and a message has to be conveyed to him. And that's the way to go about it. Failing which, you are anyway in a transition period. You got to try and look for other options. I think this team is in the same situation as Dhoni's team when they embarked on the first T20 World Cup. There are no expectations. So, that is a big advantage WV Raman Everybody is saying that this will be Gautam Gambhir's team now, more than it would be Shubman Gill's. What do you make of that, coach? And how important is this an assignment for Gautam Gambhir? It's not all about the coach all the time. Yes, we all know Gambhir is a good tactician. He's also a very intense man. And he's also got the best interest of the team at heart. So, we got to try and forget the fact that everything should be related to the coach. We didn't do this with his predecessors. We are doing it with him, if you remember. So, coach is always somebody who's got to stay in the background. We should allow the coach to do his job. And he's going to take all the decisions based on how he sees things. Because he's the one who is completely aware of what is exactly happening with each and every individual in the side. And then as far as this team is concerned, this will always be a team under the title of a captain who is successful. People are not calling this the Rohit's team until he started succeeding as a captain in white ball cricket. The same happened with Virat in red ball cricket. So, it gets dubbed as the captain's team when he starts doing well when he stays put for a long period of time as a captain. But as far as this particular team is concerned, even though there's a lot of apprehension about how the series will pan out, I for one think this team is in the same situation as Dhoni's team when they embarked on the first T20 World Cup. There are no expectations. So, that is a big advantage for this side. That's a real big advantage for this side. And they have everything to gain. The only way is up. And I think therein lies this team to spring a surprise. Because let's not forget that even though India has not won many series in England, we've always sprung a lot of surprises there. Starting from Chandra's (Bhagwath Chandrasekhar) spell and Ajit Wadekar 's series win in 1971, India has sprung a surprise or two always in England. Nick Knight EXCLUSIVE: On Shubman Gill and absence of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in England Before I let you go, I'll put you on a spot there as I always like to do. Your prediction for the series, coach. Who's winning this one? And by what scoreline? All I would like to see this team do is to play good cricket. I am not a great fan of this numbers game. That's a diplomatic answer, coach. You gotta give me a scoreline. A pragmatic answer. You always put people in a spot. I always give pragmatic answers. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
