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Cricket Players‘Edgbaston Test would’ve been Shubman Gill's last as India captain': Butcher's reply to Shastri on unforgiving nature
Mark Butcher praised Shubman Gill's leadership under pressure. Gill scored 585 runs so far, including a record 269, leading India to a significant away victory.
A positive result is the ultimate thing in cricket, or any other sport, for that matter. A win masks a lot of negatives and, in some cases, turns them into positives. Take the India vs England 2nd Test for example. All hell broke loose when India made three changes to their XI. They rested Jasprit Bumrah despite being 1-0 lead. Did not pick Kuldeep Yadav and went in with two batting all-rounders. The move, deemed as ultra-defensive, was bashed left and right. But after five days of cricket at Edgbaston, a venue where they had never won, they registered their biggest-ever away win (in terms of runs) to draw level in the five-match series.
The resounding victory doesn't mean India picked the right XI -- apart from Akash Deep, the other two changes barely made any impact in the match -- but it did enough to shift the focus away from the side's make-up. There was another thing that could have completely changed the complexion of the match -- the toss.
After losing the toss, India captain Shubman Gill said he, too, would have opted to bowl like his English counterpart Ben Stokes. The decision did not prove to be a wise one as India piled on 587, riding on Shubman Gil's record 269-run knock.
Former England opener Mark Butcher, the Edgbaston Test, would have tuned out to Shubman Gill's last if the same thing had happened to India because of his decision at the toss. Butcher made the comment after former India head coach Ravi Shastri said England would get away with their decision to field.
"England would get away with this decision of batting first but if it were Shubman Gill, who said India would have bowled, it would not have gotten away if England had reached 600," Shastri said on commentary during the Edgbaston Test.
"Might have been his last Test as captain," replied Butcher.
Gill led from the front to orchestrate India's 336-run. Gill became the first cricketer to hit a double century and a 150 in the same Test. The Indian captain backed up his 269 in the first innings with a fluent 161 in the second innings. In Bumrah's absence, fast bowler Akash Deep picked up a 10-wicket haul in the match.
Mark Butcher all praise for Shubman Gill
Butcher was all praise for Gill's batting and captaincy. "There aren't many jobs in world sport that come with as much pressure and scrutiny as being Indian cricket captain, right? Not to mention you're filling in Kohli's spot in the order or Tendulkar's spot in the order (both held the number four spot)," Butcher told PTI.
"So the pressures were enormous. And so far, he's taken to it like a duck to water. He's just looked very, very comfortable, very serene in terms of his temperament," said the 52-year-old, who played 71 Tests for England between 1997 and 2004.
There were some questions over Gill's temperament and technique ahead of the series but the 25-year-old shut that debate for the foreseeable future with 585 runs in four innings.
"And technically, he's played beautifully as well. So what a great start to the series. I mean, he might have some records in his side by the end of it. He's passed enough already. So what's he got? 600 already in the series. It has been an incredible start.
"And England will have to come up with an answer for him in that middle order, because they obviously feel, that you get past the top three or four...and then there are bounties to be had a bit further down the order,” he said referring to India's brittle lower-order.
