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‘Shubman Gill’s father would know whether his son is Virat Kohli or MS Dhoni…': India captain prepares for toughest Test
Shubman Gill's father, Lakhwinder Singh, was instrumental in his journey. Manjrekar said Lakhwinder would know whether his son has traits of Kohli or Dhoni.
Lakhwinder Singh, an aspiring cricketer-turned farmer, was India captain Shubman Gill's first coach. It definitely helps when your father spots your talent early and becomes your biggest support. Lakhwinder always had Shubman's back and that has continued even after the latter's grand success at the international level. Many, like former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, believe it is one of the major reasons behind Shubman Gill's success; the strong foundation that his father was able to build in a young Shubman has prepared him well for tough situations.
And Gill, despite scoring more runs than any Indian batter in a Test series in England with two matches still to go, finds himself in a tough situation. India are 1-2 down. The scoreline could easily have been 3-0 in India's favour if they had held their nerves in a pressure situation, but that is what international cricket is all about. Hours of dominance can come a cropper in a few minutes of pressure. As a young captain of the side, Gill not only has to lift his side up from the heartbreaking loss at Lord's but he also has to form an effective playing XI in the absence of injured players Akash Deep and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
The last Test at Lord's was also the first time that the spotlight was on Gill for the wrong reasons. The Indian captain revealed an ultra-aggressive side of himself that many believe triggered a charged-up response from Ben Stokes and his men on Day 5.
Manjrekar is sure that Gill is not naturally aggressive like a Virat Kohli. "If Shubman Gill had that kind of a fiery side to him, we would have seen it a little earlier. You don't have to show it when you're the captain. Or did he show it because he's got this confidence now that he's won a Test match, and he's got so many runs? Because with Virat Kohli, you could see that he was ready for a scrap. He was always waiting to get in the thick of things. Even when he wasn't a captain, you could see him coming in there. So that was a trait that we'd seen even before he was captain. With Shubman Gill, I've never seen it before," Manjrekar said on ESPNCricinfo.
Australia great and former India head coach Greg Chappell said Shubman Gill will face his toughest test in Manchester. This is where Manjrekar believes the role of Shubman Gill's father will become very important because he knows whether Gill has more shades of Virat Kohli, the aggressor or that of MS Dhoni.
"There are a lot of good people around him. His father [who played a big part as he grew up pursuing a career in cricket], in fact, would know him, would know his child, whether he's a Virat Kohli, potential Virat Kohli or [MS] Dhoni or somewhere in between. I'm guessing somewhere in between. So he's got to find his own way. But whatever way that is, it's got to be a way that will enhance his leadership qualities and make him a better batter," Manjrekar said.
