Kolkata: Shubman Gill isn’t particularly interested in treating India’s first Test in Sri Lanka as a fresh start. For him, the larger picture is already clear: the next nine Tests are the road to the World Test Championship final, and India —currently fifth — probably need to win most of those to give themselves a strong chance of making it to Lord’s next year.
That makes the opening Test at Galle, beginning on Friday, an important first step in what Gill sees as a defining stretch for this India team. “Obviously, now the main goal is to play the World Test Championship final, which is next year. We have got about nine Tests and I think we have to win around 6 or 7 to be able to have a good chance at qualifying,” Gill said on the eve of the Test. “So in terms of that, I think that this is (versus Sri Lanka) a very important series for us and we have had the right kind of preparation leading up to the series.”
That preparation has been notably longer than the rushed build-ups India endured last year. Gill had spoken after the South Africa series about the value of giving Test players time to adapt, and he was pleased that the scheduling had allowed India more than a week to prepare in Galle. “It is never easy for the players to be able to adapt,” Gill said. “Most of the players in this team require a bit of time to be able to adjust to the conditions. It is not like a lot of the players have a lot of matches or a lot of experience under their belt. So the extra time in preparation definitely helps.”
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Gill will also lead the team in what will be the 600th Test for India, and the symbolism is not lost on him. That the milestone comes on Independence Day only adds to the occasion. “Any Test match that you captain for your country… obviously, leading my country in our 600th Test match is a big honour and privilege for me,” he said. “Doing that on Independence Day, it is even more special.”
{{/usCountry}}Gill will also lead the team in what will be the 600th Test for India, and the symbolism is not lost on him. That the milestone comes on Independence Day only adds to the occasion. “Any Test match that you captain for your country… obviously, leading my country in our 600th Test match is a big honour and privilege for me,” he said. “Doing that on Independence Day, it is even more special.”
{{/usCountry}}Gill expects the Galle surface to offer more bounce than some Indian pitches, with spin remaining central as the match progresses. He also believes the open nature of the ground makes wind a tactical factor for batters, particularly when taking on the spinners. The bigger challenge will be finding India’s 20 wickets without Jasprit Bumrah, while maintaining enough depth with the bat. Gill believes that is precisely where India’s lower order must contribute.
“Number seven, eight, nine or even 10 — you know that their batting will mostly come in nine out of 10 Test matches,” Gill said. “Their 10 runs, 20 runs, 30 runs, that contribution becomes important, especially in the first innings.”
India’s bowling selection, meanwhile, remains intriguing. Gill praised both Gurnoor Brar and Prasidh Krishna, with the latter having impressed him particularly in recent red-ball cricket.
“They both are very skilled bowlers and they bowled really well in the practice match. We have seen how good Gurnoor is with the old ball when nothing is happening,” Gill said.
“He is excellent with the old ball. You need that extra pace, extra bounce. He’s obviously very tall as well. But I think Prasidh recently has been bowling the best that I have ever seen him bowl. In the red ball and also in white ball. So it would be a very tough decision for us to be able to just pick one,” he said.