Gill’s captaincy a blend of Rohit’s ice and Kohli’s fire, says England’s Buttler ahead of first India Test

Shubman Gill’s style of captaincy blends the fire of Virat Kohli with the ice-cool composure of Rohit Sharma but India’s new Test skipper will carve out his own identity as he leads them in the upcomingTest series in England, Jos Buttler said on Tuesday.

India named Gill as their new test captain in May, picking the 25-year-old top-order batter over pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah after Rohit quit the format.

India have long recognised Gill’s leadership qualities, previously naming him vice-captain in both white-ball formats, while he also had two seasons as skipper of Indian Premier League (IPL) side Gujarat Titans.

“He’s a really impressive player and an impressive young man...,” Buttler, who played under Gill at Gujarat, said on the ‘For the Love of Cricket’ podcast.

“I feel like, on the field he’s got a bit of fight about him - a bit of intensity, quite passionate. I think he’ll be a mix of Kohli and Rohit.

“Kohli (was) that sort of real aggressive (character), really transformed the Indian team, in your face, up for the contest. Rohit a bit on the other side, a bit more laid back, very cool, calm, collected customer, but with that sort of fight.

“I feel like, from my time knowing Shubman so far, he’ll be a bit in the middle. He’s obviously learned from those two guys ... but he’ll be very much his own man.” India play England in a five-match test series starting on Friday at Headingley, and Buttler said Gill will be in the spotlight.

“Kohli is the king, Shubman is the prince - that’s the narrative that they spin out there, and I feel that he’s the coming man,” said Buttler, who stepped down as England’s white-ball captain in February after their Champions Trophy exit.

“Stepping into that number four, it’s big shoes, isn’t it? Coming behind Virat, and Sachin Tendulkar before that as well. That’s obviously a huge role.”

Meanwhile, Steve Harmison, the former England fast bowler, has suggested that the Ben Stokes-led side gains a significant mental edge from the retirement of Rohit and Virat. At the same time, Harmison feels that the stalwart duo’s absence might similarly galvanise the Indian team and push them to play with increased intensity and cohesion.

“I think it gives (England) a mental boost to have no Rohit Sharma and no Virat Kohli. I think even though the two great players possibly weren’t the great players they were five to ten years ago, the sight of Virat and Rohit being on a team sheet still holds a lot of weight. So with no great players as those two in the starting eleven, that also sometimes galvanises the team.

“When great players go out of the team, sometimes it makes the dressing room a little bit easier to be in because you’ve now got somebody that’s going to go out there and score all the runs for you. You’re going to have to take some responsibility yourself. So that’ll be the challenge from the India team’s point of view.”

“From an England point of view, they’re not seeing those great players. Yes, it will give them a boost, but it’s still going to be a very, very strong India side to play against. I’m expecting a close series, but I think England are favourites because this series is in England,” said Harmison.

While India have the experience of KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja, as well as the brilliance of Jasprit Bumrah and the excitement that Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Rishabh Pant bring to the table, England are also sporting a youthful look through cricketers like Harry Brook and Jamie Smith, along with Ollie Pope. They also have the experience of Joe Root and the world-class skipper Ben Stokes on the table.

Another factor that has been the talk of the town in England has been the increasingly ongoing dry weather this summer. At Headingley in Leeds, the venue for the series opener, there has hardly been rainy weather this year. Headingley has traditionally been a pacers’ paradise, and the choice to bowl first to fully exploit the conditions seems prudent.

Harmison, who picked 226 wickets in 63 Tests for England, offers a thorough explanation of the ideal lines and lengths to stick to in England, especially in the face of increasingly flat pitches and weather playing more of peek-a-boo.

Agencies