'What was Rohit Sharma? He struggled when he played Test cricket': Shubman Gill's fresh challenge ahead of England Tests
A former BCCI selector compared Shubman Gill to Graeme Smith and backed his captaincy appointment with a special ‘Rohit Sharma’ remark.
Immense pressure is expected to be on Shubman Gill, when he leads his team out to face opposition skipper Ben Stokes at toss in the first Test at Headingley on Friday. The upcoming five-match Test series in England will see Gill make his captaincy debut, having taken over from Rohit Sharma, who recently announced his retirement.
There have been question marks surrounding the 25-year-old's Test captaincy appointment, with many feeling that it was more circumstantial, rather than well-planned. His batting average in 32 Tests is 35.05, which is the lowest among top-order batters to have played for India in the past decade. Gill's batting brilliance can never be ignored in other formats, and to a certain extent, even in Test cricket, but many feel that he needed more time to develop before being given the reins of the team.
Ex-BCCI selector backs Shubman Gill
Speaking to Hindustan Times, former India cricketer and ex-BCCI selector Venkatapathy Raju weighed in on Gill's appointment, saying the load of captaincy wouldn't negatively affect his Test career or development.
Comparing the GT captain to Rohit, he said, "Not really, not really. You see, what was Rohit Sharma? Rohit Sharma struggled when he played Test cricket, right? But then, when they gave him captaincy for Mumbai Indians, he won trophies. Then suddenly his style of cricket changed. Then he became Indian captain, right? After he became Indian captain, he did well."
During his Test career, which spanned 67 matches and 116 innings, Rohit averaged 40.57. His start in that format wasn't up to the mark, needing time to settle in. Raju, who was a selector during India's victorous campaign at the 2007 World T20, also went on to compare Gill to South African legend Graeme Smith, who was appointed skipper at a very early age.
"So Gill has been part of this Indian team in all formats, right? And then probably, you know, I want to see the example of Graeme Smith. When Graeme Smith was very young for South Africa. He was just 19 when he was made the captain. He made a lot of difference," he said.
"So now the selectors have decided to give the chance to Gill. It's up to the senior members in the team, all the players in the team to support him, right? Because it is a team game. It might change his style also. He might be more responsible. Initially, he might look little nervous, but then that’s what cricket is all about. It is a challenge. He has to accept the challenge. He has got five Test matches, hopefully he learns quickly in those games and plays the way he knows," he further added.
In SENA nations, Gill has yet to register a century, averaging 25.70. Meanwhile, in the three Tests he has played in England, Gill has only managed scores of 28, 15, 1, 0, 17 and 4.
The spotlight will be on him when India face England in the first Test. A defeat could just increase the pressure, whereas a win in the first Test could see a strong start for India's new generation of cricketers.
