Team India’s young opener Shubman Gill spoke in detail about Ben Stokes’ captaincy after the hosts clinched a series win in the fourth Test in Ranchi
Shubman Gill played a key role in Team India’s brilliant five-wicket win over England on Monday. The youngster soaked up the pressure after quick wickets in the 192-run chase, scoring an unbeaten 52 to guide the side to victory. In a post-match chat, Gill talked about his innings in detail and spoke on batting against a Ben Stokes-led English team, making key notes about how the field setting England employs is different from other teams and captains who travel to play red-ball contests in India.
India’s Shubman Gill greets Dhruv Jurel after India won the fourth Test against England; Ben Stokes looks on(AP)
Under Stokes’ leadership, England have adopted a fearless approach in Test cricket, which also suits head coach Brendon McCullum’s coaching style. Apart from a fearless batting approach, Stokes’ aggressive captaincy in the field has also helped England dominate the opposition in red-ball cricket.
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Stokes did the same on Day 4 of the Ranchi Test when the match was slipping away from England’s reach with Indian openers Rohit Sharma (55) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (37) going strong. The English captain stuck with his aggressive field positions by placing the fielders all around the circle, and it worked well for his team. India lost wickets in quick successions; from 84/0, they were half down for 120. The aggressive field did help England make a comeback, but it didn’t last long, as Shubman and Dhruv Jurel’s unbeaten 72-run stand sealed the win for India.
“I think it is a bit different especially when teams come to India, there is a set pattern that all the teams play with. And I think what they have done is not play with that pattern. Generally, when you see, when a batsman is set playing on 50-60, you would get a field – long on back, long off back – like normally how you play in India,” Gill told Jio Cinema.
“But I think what he has done is that they don’t want to play with that pattern and that’s why you would see just before tea, he brings up everyone in or maybe if they desperately need a wicket they bring everyone in and makes a false shot out of the batsman,” he added.
Gill displayed grit and resilience in the second innings of the Ranchi Test as his half-century guided India to a series-clinching win over England. It was India’s 17th consecutive Test series win on home soil but was definitely one of the toughest as Stokes and co. put up a terrific fight in the series thus far.
The rising star of the Indian batting lineup further talked about England’s ‘Bazball’ as he pointed out why they have failed to produce consistent results with their approach in the ongoing Test series.
“I feel in these conditions it’s very important like… they had the momentum or going to the third Test match Day 2, when Ben Duckett was batting and hit a hundred, they had that momentum suddenly. In India, you would see if you get good two-three wickets, then the batsman coming in is always under pressure, because there is something always happening from the wicket and if you are not always on top of the ball or on top of the game – the game slips from your hands very quickly,” he concluded.
