India’s Test captain Shubman Gill has offered a candid assessment of the West Indies’ cricketing decline, attributing it to their growing obsession with T20 leagues at the expense of red-ball cricket. Once the most feared team in world cricket through the 1980s and 1990s, the Caribbean giants have seen their dominance fade over the past two decades. Gill emphasised that a strong Test cricket foundation remains the key to sustaining success in all formats, a principle that has guided India’s rise as a powerhouse in recent years.
Speaking to the media ahead of the second Test against West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, Shubman Gill stopped short of commenting on the much-debated two-tier Test system proposed by the ICC. However, he made it clear that nations need to strengthen their red-ball setup before excelling in shorter formats.
“It’s up to the ICC to decide whether a two-tier system should exist or not. But I feel that if your red-ball base is strong, you automatically do well in ODIs and T20Is,” Shubman Gill said at the pre-match press conference. “If you look at England or Australia, both have solid Test structures, which naturally reflect in their white-ball performances.”
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India recently crushed the West Indies by an innings and 140 runs in the first Test in Ahmedabad, continuing their dominance in home conditions. Reflecting on the Windies’ struggles, Shubman Gill pointed out that the lure of global T20 leagues and financial security has taken precedence over national pride and long-format consistency.
“Maybe their players are more focused on T20s and leagues. When you shift your focus away from where the game began, that’s where a country starts to struggle,” he added.
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Gill also credited the BCCI’s efforts to preserve the sanctity of Test cricket, citing the board’s recently introduced ‘Test Cricket Incentive Scheme’. Announced by BCCI secretary Jay Shah, the initiative offers substantial financial rewards to players who commit to playing a majority of India’s Test matches in a season.
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Players participating in over 75% of Tests receive an additional ₹45 lakh per match, while non-playing members in that bracket earn ₹22.5 lakh per match—a move aimed at ensuring Test cricket remains aspirational and financially rewarding.
“We are aware of how important the Test format is,” Shubman Gill said. “If you do well in Tests, your ODI and T20 teams automatically become stronger. A good base always gives you better options for the future.”
