Did Gill Lack the On-Field Aura of Rohit and Kohli?

New Delhi, June 25 (NationPress) India’s newly appointed Test captain Shubman Gill finds himself in the spotlight after his leadership during the series opener against England faced scrutiny from former England captain Nasser Hussain, who remarked that Gill "didn’t quite possess the on-field presence" of his predecessors, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

“I observed someone trying to find his footing,” Hussain commented on Sky Sports. “He (Gill) didn’t exhibit the same commanding presence on the field as Rohit and Kohli. I felt he was more reactive, following the ball rather than taking charge. When Rohit and Kohli captained, it was clear who held authority. In this match, I perceived multiple leaders—captaincy by committee.”

Gill’s debut Test match as captain concluded in disappointment as India faced a five-wicket defeat at Headingley, despite a strong start and five individual centuries throughout both innings. England, led by Ben Duckett’s thrilling 149 and solid performances from Joe Root (53 not out) and debutant Jamie Smith (44 not out), successfully chased down 371 runs in the fourth innings—marking their second-highest successful run chase in Test history, and the highest ever against India.

While Hussain conceded that Gill’s captaincy lacked decisiveness, he also recognized that the 24-year-old wasn’t entirely at fault. “India lost due to two factors beyond Gill's control—dropped catches and batting collapses,” he pointed out, emphasizing the team’s fielding challenges and frequent middle-order failures.

In a match where India had England at 276/5 in the first innings and 333/4 in the second, their failure to capitalize on dominant scenarios proved detrimental. The visitors lost seven wickets for merely 41 runs in the first innings and six for 31 in the second—collapses that shifted the momentum despite centuries from Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Shubman Gill himself during his inaugural innings as captain.

Former England pacer Stuart Broad shared similar thoughts, stating that India had “numerous chances to secure this match” but allowed England to stage a comeback. “Duckett was remarkable. It’s simply astonishing how this team continues to perform,” Broad noted.

India's bowling resources were also stretched thin. Jasprit Bumrah, who claimed a five-wicket haul in the first innings, is managing his workload and is anticipated to participate in only three of the five Tests due to a recent back injury.

The absence of a reliable seam-bowling all-rounder in English conditions further contributed to the imbalance—a challenge Hussain highlighted, stating, “In India, they have spin-bowling all-rounders like Ashwin, Jadeja, and Axar. However, in England, they are still searching for someone who can contribute as both a batsman and seam bowler.”