Ahmedabad: Shubman Gill embarks on the second leg of what he would hope shapes up to be the most glorious phase of his career. Like Virat Kohli, Gill has been handed India Test captaincy when young. Kohli went on to stamp his authority for six years, so much so that he had a say in every cricket matter – pitches, playing formation, fitness protocols.
And Kohli proved to be largely successful. For Gill, 26, it’s early days yet, but he passed the tough test by making a resounding start in England – 774 runs in 5 Tests in a 2-2 comeback draw.
In England, as a rookie Test skipper, Gill had little control over the pitches or the Dukes ball that was unpredictable, with even the domineering batting of the opposition a challenge. During the four-Test stretch at home, a two-game series against West Indies starting on Thursday, followed by two more against South Africa in November, it may be time to cash in.
Under the new skipper, India are set to make the first tactical departure from their playing template at home. The Ahmedabad pitch won’t be a rank turner like the last two home Tests against New Zealand in Pune and Mumbai were. A red-soil pitch with a greenish tinge has been laid out for West Indies. This decision may have become even more easier after express pacers Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph were ruled out with injuries.
But those in the know are clear – the pitch isn’t damp despite spells of rain here. The grass on the pitch is only to prevent it from disintegrating early. What is evident is that they don’t want a dust bowl to even out the yawning gap between the two spin attacks.
{{/usCountry}}But those in the know are clear – the pitch isn’t damp despite spells of rain here. The grass on the pitch is only to prevent it from disintegrating early. What is evident is that they don’t want a dust bowl to even out the yawning gap between the two spin attacks.
{{/usCountry}}“I can’t really speak about what the conversations were before I came (as captain), but yes, we would be looking to play on wickets that offer (help) both to the batsmen and to the bowlers,” Gill told reporters on Wednesday. “But having said that, for any team that comes to India, they know that the challenge is going to be spin and reverse swing.”
India would like to believe they can make quick work in the four home Tests to boost their World Test Championship final hopes, although reigning champions South Africa will pose a stiffer challenge. But the two Test series will be separated by an ODI and T20I series in Australia. The Windies series was preceded by a highly charged T20 Asia Cup. With Gill seen as an all-format batting force, his presence will be ubiquitous, so also the challenge of switching formats.
Mind over technique
“Switching formats is more mental than it is about technique. So, I was just trying to work on getting into my zone in the nets,” Gill said.
If it was about trying to bat with outstretched arms and hit the white ball long in Dubai, playing Test cricket for the first time at his IPL home, Gill would need to unlearn those attacking instincts. For a long time at the nets on pre-match day, Gill asked the throw-down experts to bowl fast from 15 yards, and entirely focused on defence, facing the incoming ball and leaving those balls going away from the bat.
“When you are going from the shortest to the longest format, it is probably the hardest,” he said. “I just try to get in the zone. That zone is nothing, just watching the ball well and being able to decide the areas where I am going to defend or attack. Then the mental side comes in, how much control and how much patience one has to be able to stick to that process.”
Allrounders
Having decided not to go for an overly spin-friendly surface, India will have to pick their bowling attack with care. Gill said they had a temptation to play “three seamers”. If that means Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj will be assisted by Nitish Reddy, it would allow Kuldeep Yadav to come in as a frontline spinner. Another spinner to join Ravindra Jadeja would then be either Washington Sundar or Axar Patel. But if India is not convinced of Dhruv Jurel’s ability to bat in the top-five in Rishabh Pant’s absence, Kuldeep may again have to miss out for batting depth.
In the opposing corner, West Indies want to do a New Zealand on India, but more out of hope than ambition. They finished eighth in both the previous WTC cycles and are yet to register a win in this cycle after being blanked 0-3 at home by Australia, which also saw them being routed for 27 in their last innings.
“We come in as underdogs. Nothing to lose can make us dangerous. Everyone is expecting us to lose. We will look to enjoy our cricket, even when things don’t go to plan,” West Indies captain, Roston Chase, said.