Test cricket leadership

It may not have matched the flamboyance of his one-day batting, but in his first press conference as Test captain in England, Shubman Gill exuded the quiet confidence of a man ready for the long haul-prepared for the patience and grind that the traditional format demands. Speaking to the media at Headingley, Leeds, on the eve of arguably the biggest moment of his young career, Gill remained guarded-but offered just enough of a glimpse into his mindset to intrigue. At 25, Gill becomes India’s 37th Test captain, charged with steering the team into a new era-an era without Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, or R. Ashwin in whites. It’s a formidable weight for a young batter still finding his feet in the most unforgiving format of the game. The expectations may be modest, but Gill appeared composed, masking any flicker of nerves with a calm demeanour as he fielded questions from the press. “Yes, definitely, it’s sunk in. It’s the biggest honour a player can get. Captaining the country in Test cricket is something not many get the opportunity to do. I’m very excited about it,” Gill said. Much has already been said about his appointment. Some questioned whether he deserved the role, especially as he’s still carving out his space in red-ball cricket. Is he the right man to lead a team stepping into uncharted territory without three of its biggest match-winners-Kohli, Rohit and Ashwin? The five-Test series will, no doubt, answer some of those questions. But for now, Gill is staying focused on what’s in front of him. Sure, the absence of the Big Three will be felt. But Gill has already lit a spark, urging his young team to embrace this “honeymoon phase”-a time of freedom, without the weight of legacy or the burden of great expectation. With a fresh-looking squad-only eight of the 19 players from this series toured England in 2021-22-Gill believes they can fight without baggage. Also read: India a tough challenge even without Virat and Rohit, says Stokes “A lot of people talk about, you know, our side is not experienced, but there are also positives that we don’t really have any baggage coming to England, because not all of the players have really been to England,” Gill said., “So that could be one thing that really makes a difference for us because we wouldn’t be carrying any baggage,” he added. THINK LIKE A BATTER That’s not to say he’s alone. In head coach Gautam Gambhir, vice-captain Rishabh Pant, seasoned batter KL Rahul, and senior bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja, Gill has an experienced core to lean on if needed. While some big names have crumbled under the burden of leadership, Gill hopes to find balance-switching seamlessly between leader and pure batter. “When I go out there to bat, I want to think like a batter-not a captain. That can add pressure. I want to be the best batter in this series,” he said. At the same time, Gill is clear-eyed about the atmosphere he wants to build in the dressing room-secure, supportive, and clear in its messaging. “Rishabh and I have played a lot together. Our mindset and vision are sort of aligned. We want to build an environment where players feel safe and confident. We believe that’s how we’ll bring the best out of everyone,” he said. Gill underlined the importance of role clarity and honest communication-two things India’s Test team has sorely lacked in recent years. The issue peaked during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, when dressing-room whispers became public debates. Gill promises that era is over. Whether he delivers on that is another story, but the intention is clear. “It’s about (having) clear communication; what you want from them? Trying to assign roles, how they would want to go about their things. Having the confidence to be able to back them with their natural game (as to) how they want to play this game,” he said. “Definitely there would be some players that you tend to give long ropes just because of their pure potential that you see. But having said that, it’s all about giving them clear communication and having honest conversations with them and that’s how I feel the bond of a leader and a player is (at) the best,” he added. INSPIRED BY BAZBALL? And yes. This was England. So of course, a Bazball question came up. Would Gill draw inspiration from England’s swashbuckling style? The 25-year-old wasn’t biting. “You’ll have to wait until August to see what our style looks like,” he said with a grin, leaving it to the scoreboard to do the talking. While the philosophy might be a mystery for now, Gill is clear about the vision: continue India’s excellent travelling record in Tests over the past decade. “We have got a blueprint from our seniors in the last 5-10 years that we can go anywhere and beat any team. So, that’s a blueprint that we will try and follow. In terms of vision, it’s to create a positive, secure environment. And we are keen on giving the players role clarity,” he added. Gill wasn’t giving anything away on the team combination. England had already named their XI, but India would wait. Gill hinted they would read the conditions again on Thursday and Friday before the toss. That said, he did offer one small clue: don’t be surprised if India go in with just six specialist batters, favouring a bowling-heavy unit. “If you want to win a Test, you have to take 20 wickets-no matter how many runs you score. We’ve been discussing that. There might be times we go with six batters, a bowling all-rounder, and three or four frontline bowlers,” he said. TEST CRICKET IS PINNACLE And then, the final flourish. The romance of Test cricket, laid bare. Asked whether a win in England meant more than an IPL trophy, Gill didn’t hesitate. “You don’t get many chances as a captain to come to England. Maybe two, three at most if…