Former keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik hailed Indian captain Shubman Gill for the manner in which he handled the English media in his debut series as Test captain. Karthik also praised the batter Shubman Gill for having the hunger for wanting to be the best and walking the talk with his bat in hand.
Shubman Gill had a poor overseas record in red-ball cricket ahead of this England series, but he turned it around having an exceptional 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Gill amassed 754 runs in 10 innings with 4 tons which included a career best of 269 at Edgbaston. He broke numerous batting records along the way. While his captaincy was a mixed bag and still a work in progress, Gill won a lot of plaudits for the manner in which he managed the team on Day 5 at the Oval.
Dinesh Karthik’s Views on Shubman Gill.Â
During a discussion on Cricbuzz Chatter with Harsha Bhogle, Dinesh Karthik applauded Gill for both his batting and his leadership, which he felt got better as the series went on. The former keeper-batter said: “He’s been aggressive at times; sometimes he did cross the line. I think he’ll change that about himself to an extent. I hope he doesn’t change it too much. But most importantly, the way he handled the English media, he did it very well.”
The 40-year-old admitted that there were plenty of question marks over the decision to name Gill as leader, given his poor record away from home in Test cricket especially outside Asia. Hailing the 25-year-old for getting his act right and working on his technical flaws, Karthik went onto say:
“Walking into this series, people were asking Shubman Gill, away from India, his record can be better. And he said, ‘I want to be the best batter across both teams’. It’s one thing to have confidence, but you’ve got to back that up with skill. He came prepared. There was a vulnerability in his batting against the ball coming back in. He found a way to work on his technique and counter it.”
He went onto add: “What was the defining part of what he achieved was the hunger and determination. That 269 and the hundred he got at Edgbaston, the amount of time he batted was astounding.”
Shubman Gill kicked off the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy with a brilliant 147 in the first innings of the Leeds Test. He was the Player of the Match for his superb 269 & 161 in the second Test in Birmingham.
Shubman Gill in History Books after superb Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.Â
Shubman Gill amassed 754 runs during the five-match Test series in England. With this achievement, Shubman Gill now finds himself in second place on the list of captains with most runs in a Test series. Only Sir Donald Bradman has scored more runs than the Indian captain in a Test series while leading the side. Bradman scored 810 runs in 1936-37 series.
Shubman Gill surpassed England’s Graham Gooch, who amassed 752 runs in 6 innings during the home series against India way back in 1990. Sunil Gavaskar with 732 runs and David Gower also with 732 runs complete the top five list of captains with most runs in a Test series.
All eyes will be on Shubman Gill as to how he carries this form and builds on it going forward when India plays Test matches in October at home. He will want to be consistent and deliver the goods with the bat while as captain he is still a work in progress. India are scheduled to have a one-month break in August before white-ball fixtures resume for the team. It is important that Shubman takes some time off and then reflects on his areas to work on before coming back in October for Tests. He is unlikely to play T20Is as things stand.
Also Read:Â ENG vs IND: India Stuns England with Thrilling Six-Run Victory On Day 5 At The Oval