Since Shubman Gill became a captain of the Test team, India has lost just a few games and won four of the past seven games. This involves a 2-2 tie in the five match series with England and then a series of 5 match sweep with West Indies at home. Nevertheless, the head coach, Gautam Gambhir, claims that Gill is yet to prove himself as captain.
The head coach believes that any captain becomes tougher in his thinking and leadership qualities only after going through some extremely difficult moments. When Gill finds himself in difficult waters, it will be a true test for the 26-year-old, determining whether he is capable of leading the Indian squad.
“It’s still very early days—he has captained only a few Test matches so far. The most important quality I see is his ability to handle pressure and tough situations. Gill is very much a work in progress; he hasn’t yet faced the worst days of captaincy, which will inevitably come. It will test him personally and as a leader and I want to see how he responds when things don’t go his way,” Gambhir said via JioStar.
On his relationship with Gill, Gambhir has stated that as long as he is the team’s head coach, he would always be available to protect him. He is also convinced that he is ready to relieve the shoulders of the Indian captain to ensure that it does not affect the performance of the team on the field negatively and the dressing room environment is not negative.
“I’ve told him I’m always here to support, back, and protect him. My role as coach is to take the pressure and criticism off his shoulders, as long as he does the right things for the team and remains transparent and honest with the players inside the dressing room. That is the foundation for earning respect. So far, he has been absolutely brilliant—transparent, upfront, hardworking, and focused on doing the right things. What more can a coach ask of a captain who is willing to put everything on the line?”
Gautam Gambhir
Markedly, Gill has been chosen to head the Men in Blue first time in straight away series against Australia after a fantastic first season as a Test captain. On October 19 at the Optus stadium in Perth the first ODI against Australia will be played. A series of five T20 games between the two teams will also be held following three 50-overs with Gill appointed as the deputy to Suryakumar Yadav.
