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Shubman Gill 'shell-shocked', India lacked 'established captain' in Leeds: 'You can read all leadership books but...'
Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook questioned Shubman Gill's leadership in the Headingley Test.
Former England captain Alastair Cook reckons Shubman Gill would have felt a bit "shell-shocked" following India's loss in the Headingley Test. Despite five centurions and Jasprit Bumrah's fifer, India allowed Ben Stokes and co to chase down 371 to get a headstart in the five-match series. In the final innings, the Indian attack lacked teeth as England openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley put on 188 runs for the opening wicket.
India did try to stage a comeback, but in the end, Joe Root and Jamie Smith ensured the hosts got over the line with five wickets in hand. Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Yashasvi Jaiswal scored centuries in the first innings, while Pant and KL Rahul registered tons in the second innings.
In both innings, India suffered a lower-order collapse, allowing England to stage a comeback in the contest. The fielding effort also left a lot to be desired as the visitors dropped more than five catches, with Jaiswal himself putting down four.
"You could see lots of people out on the field making decisions and getting involved with DRS calls, and they got all of those wrong. You can read all the leadership books you like, but until you are out there, there is no other feeling like it. I imagine he (Gill) would have felt shell-shocked," Cook wrote in his column for The Sunday Times.
"I think in India’s second innings a more established captain might have thought ‘we’re 340 ahead and five down, let’s put some pressure on England’. As it was, they were bowled out with a lead of just over 370 anyway, but it might have helped their situation to have attacked a bit more," he added.
'Jadeja could have bowled into the rough'
Cook was also critical of experienced Ravindra Jadeja, saying the left-arm spinner could have a bit more into the rough. Jadeja lacked bite on the final day, and it was only in the final session that he started to bowl into the rough. He also got the wicket of Ben Stokes. However, England opener Ben Duckett kept reverse sweeping him throughout the day.
"I thought Jadeja could have bowled into the rough slightly slower — instead, he bowled in the way he might have done in India. I sympathised with the India captain, Shubman Gill, in that fourth innings. I felt India could have tried more things. They could have had a go with a 7-2 offside field or tried bouncer warfare," said Cook.
The former England captain, who led his side to a famous win in India in 2012, stated that India might have to leave out either Karun Nair or Sai Sudharsan in Edgbaston to bring Nitish Kumar Reddy into the playing XI, as this would also allow them to bring in Kuldeep Yadav.
"They might have to leave out either Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan and play Nitish Kumar Reddy, who can bat and also bowl some phantom seamers, and then they can play Kuldeep Yadav as an extra spinner," said Cook.
