Former Indian player Sunil Gavaskar applauded India captain Shubman Gill by calling him a blend of the three former Indian captains to win a Test series in England as well. He believes that Gill, with his batting and captaincy, in the second Test of the ongoing England series, showed qualities similar to those of Ajit Wadekar, Kapil Dev, and Rahul Dravid. However, Gill broke several batting records, including the highest Test score by an Indian in England and an Indian captain overall.

Talking about Gill in his maiden captaincy stint in Tests, Gavaskar wrote in his column for the Mid-Day: “It might be pertinent to note that India have won a Test series in England only thrice. In 1971 under Ajit Wadekar, in 1986 under Kapil Dev and in 2007 under Rahul Dravid. All three were the coolest skippers one could ever hope for. The laconic style of Wadekar, the rip roaring yet controlled style of Kapil and the intense and thoughtful method of Dravid.”

“Not once did these three ever get excited whatever the situation and that calm certainty was infectious. Shubman Gill in Birmingham looked like an amalgam of these three. Intense and laconic while scoring a double century and a century, rip roaring as well as thoughtful as his bowlers ran through the England batting in both the innings,” he further added.

However, Sunil Gavaskar also believes England are ahead 2-1 in the five-match Test series against India only because of the situation went their way at the crucial moments. They chased down 371 in the series opener at Leeds and defended 193 in the third Test at Lord’s as well.

“That England are ahead 2-1 is quite simply because they, and not India, have had the rub of the blue at crucial moments in the matches. Hopefully, that will change in the next two Test matches and this young and talented Indian team will end up winning both the games and with it the series,” wrote Gavaskar.

“Talented this Indian team definitely is, but because it is short on experience, they have not been able to recognise the moments where they could have turned things around and tightened the screws. Their effort level has been splendid, particularly from the fast bowlers who have bowled their hearts out trying to get the stubborn partnerships broken and get their team ahead,” Sunil Gavaskar concluded.