The first Test of the five-match series between India and England at Headingley left plenty of questions about Shubman Gill’s leadership approach, particularly in tricky conditions. Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar weighed in on the young captain’s field placements and mindset, suggesting that Virat Kohli might have tackled the situation very differently.
Manjrekar felt that Gill and his team seemed to have made up their minds about how the final day would unfold in overcast conditions, opting for a defensive field too early. Despite India boasting a strong pace attack, England chased down the target with relative ease, winning by five wickets on a pitch that offered enough assistance for seamers.
“Overcast conditions, I know the ball wasn’t doing too much, but they pre-empted the English approach and had a far too defensive field,” Sanjay Manjrekar said during his analysis on Star Sports. “I hate to bring Virat Kohli into the comparison because it’s unfair on the young man, but you can just imagine Virat Kohli in that situation.”
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The former Mumbai batter elaborated that Kohli’s aggressive instincts would likely have produced more attacking fields, even if the wickets didn’t immediately come. Manjrekar noted that Gill’s temperament is quite different, and while that isn’t inherently bad, it could mean missed opportunities in tight situations.
“Whether they would have got wickets or not, Kohli would have shown the opposition that he’s trying to get them out. Gill is not that kind of personality, nor that kind of captain. But maybe, don’t go so defensive, pre-empting things,” Sanjay Manjrekar added.
England batted with intent, scoring at over four-and-a-half runs per over in both innings. In contrast, India often seemed reactive, spreading the field to prevent boundaries rather than hunting wickets. Despite Gill’s stellar batting in the first innings, where he top-scored with 147, his second-innings dismissal for 8 exposed the fragility in India’s batting and leadership under pressure.
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As the teams head to Edgbaston, Gill’s captaincy will be under scrutiny once again. Historically, Edgbaston hasn’t been kind to India — they’ve lost seven of eight Tests played there. If India are to script history with their first win at the venue, Gill will need to take a leaf out of Kohli’s book and back his bowlers with attacking fields and positive intent.
