'He's lacking ideas on field,' former India coach criticises Gill’s captaincy

MANCHESTER: Former India head coach Ravi Shastri on Sunday criticises in on Shubman Gill’s captaincy during the ongoing fourth Test against England in Manchester, saying the young skipper is struggling for ideas on the field.

Speaking to the British media on day five of fourth Test, Shastri also drew an interesting comparison with former captain Virat Kohli’s aggressive leadership style, highlighting the stark contrast between the two.

Shastri noted that Gill made a few tactical errors that contributed to India conceding such a huge total. To illustrate his point, he compared Gill with Kohli.

“I’ll give you an example of Virat. He was the other way round compared to Gill. Virat was ultra aggressive at times, we had to calm him down from the dressing room. He wanted five wickets every session. 

"That doesn’t happen. Sometimes, you have to respect conditions and set fields accordingly,” Shastri said.

Shastri believed Gill’s approach is too passive, leaving him short of ideas during tough phases.

“Gill, on the other hand, seemed to run out of ideas and looked lost at times. It’s his first series as captain, and these are learning phases for him,” he added.

The former coach stressed that leadership is not solely the captain’s burden and urged senior players and bowlers to take responsibility.

“Team management and senior players play a massive role. They need to share inputs and step up when required. 

"The bowlers, who’ve played 50-60 Tests, should suggest plans rather than wait for instructions. Look at Ben Stokes, he constantly looks for ways to disrupt partnerships,” Shastri concluded.