Gill showed why the team management showed trust in him.
After an intriguing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, which culminated in an epic finish on the final day, Karun Nair has opened up on his experience and a range of other topics. While talking to ESPNcricinfo, he particularly praised Shubman Gill, India’s newly-appointed Test captain, leading for the first time.
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Nair highlighted the clarity in communication from Gill’s end while making a statement with the willow as well. This is a quality several other players have praised since he started captaining the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL, for he has given ample clarity and freedom to all his players wherever he leads.
“The way Shubman held everyone together and the encouragement he gave was great to see. He was crystal clear with his communication from the beginning. To achieve what he did as a batter, while also leading the team…as a leader, he exemplified the spirit of Gauti bhai.”
As a captain, Gill gave an extended run to Nair in the Test series, playing him in four of the five games on the tour. While his returns were not as consistent as the team would have liked, Nair had the backing of the team management, and he did well in patches, including a fighting fifty in The Oval Test when India required it the most on a tricky deck.
When Shubman Gill took over the Test side from Rohit Sharma, he must have been under immense pressure to prove the call correct. At that time, his own form was middling, and he had been dropped for one of the matches in Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25.
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The added captaincy pressure, especially on such a daunting tour, could have severely harmed his Test career, but Gill showed why the team management showed trust in him. He ended the series as the leading run-scorer, scoring 754 runs at an average of 75.40 in 10 innings, including four centuries.
He was never under captaincy pressure, leading the team brilliantly, making numerous wise calls despite being new to this role. For instance, his fields were spot-on most of the time, which resulted in dismissals when England batters tried to be aggressive.
No wonder Karun Nair has been full of praise for Gill, who was exceptional in a new role and magnificently aced the dual challenge on his maiden attempt. For Nair, this series was about reflection on his game and where he stands in the international arena, as he hopes to work on his flaws and put on more consistent performances.
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