Shubman Gill has not been at the helm of the Indian Test team for long, but some of his recent decisions as captain have raised eyebrows. Whether it's confidence or overconfidence, these choices are now turning into significant blunders. His leadership in the second Test against West Indies is under scrutiny.
Hasty Decisions Costly
After a dominant three-day victory in the first Test, it appears. Captain Shubman Gill might have underestimated the West Indies in the second match. India batted first in the Delhi Test, scoring 518 runs, and declared their innings with only five wickets down. The team could have easily aimed for a score closer to 600, but in an apparent rush to conclude the match, Gill decided to declare.
Follow-on Strategy Backfires
Initially, when West Indies were bowled out for just 248 in their first innings, Gill's decision seemed justified. However, this is where another significant misjudgment occurred. Gill opted not to bat again and enforced the follow-on. Historically, the Indian team, even when presented with the opportunity, has rarely enforced the follow-on in Tests, preferring to bat longer and set a challenging target for the opposition in the fourth innings.
West Indies Fights Back Strongly
This captain's call is now clearly backfiring. West Indies has mounted a strong comeback in their second innings, scoring over 250 runs with only three wickets down by lunch. This has effectively nullified India's first-innings lead, while whatever score West Indies sets next will have to be chased by India in the fourth innings, a task universally known to be challenging on any pitch.
Lessons from Rohit Sharma's Leadership
Had Shubman Gill shown more prudence and batted for another session, even adding 200 runs, it would have put immense pressure on West Indies, and India wouldn't have faced the prospect of batting in the fourth innings. While the match isn't yet out of India's grasp, a substantial lead by West Indies could make things very difficult, while regardless of the outcome, Gill must learn from this experience, particularly understanding why seasoned captains like Rohit Sharma seldom enforce the follow-on.
