Sanjay Manjrekar has opened up about his reservations when Shubman Gill was appointed India’s Test captain, revealing he initially favoured Jasprit Bumrah for the role. However, the former India batter conceded that while he was unsure about the decision at first, Gill has since proven his mettle, particularly with his hundred versus England in Headingley.
Gill’s hundred silenced doubts surrounding both his captaincy credentials and his form outside India. He displayed improved judgement outside off-stump batting at No. 4. It was his first Test century outside the subcontinent, which came on his captaincy debut in the red-ball format.
The innings was built on patience, control, and a marked change in technique, most notably in how Shubman Gill handled deliveries on the fourth and fifth stumps. With a calm head and clear game plan, he took full advantage of the flat pitch and an ineffective English attack, guiding India to a dominant position with the score reading 359/3 at stumps.
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Sanjay Manjrekar Changes Tune After Shubman Gill’s Headingley Century
Reflecting on Gill’s being named as a Test captain and his Leeds century, Manjrekar elaborated on why he had his doubts initially and what changed his mind.
"Let me go right back to when he was made captain - I was against it, to be honest. I felt Jasprit Bumrah would have been the better and more logical choice, without thinking too far ahead into the future. I did not think it was the right decision at the time. But was Shubman Gill going to be a failure as captain? No," Manjrekar said as quoted on Match Centre Live after stumps on Day 1.
Manjrekar praised the young captain’s technical improvements which paved the way for a ton in conditions where he had previously struggled.
"Temperamentally, we knew he would not carry the anxiety of captaincy into his batting - that was always clear. The only concern was that he was still evolving, especially in overseas conditions. But today, he addressed key technical areas that had previously stopped him from getting a big overseas hundred. Yes, the pitch was good and the bowling wasn't too challenging, but once those technical flaws were ironed out, everything else - especially his temperament - stood out as a strength,” he added.
Gill looked at ease with the additional responsibility. While there were questions over his appointment as India’s Test skipper after Rohit Sharma’s retirement, the 25-year-old has responded in the best way possible.
Shubman Gill Leads by Example as India Dominate Day 1 of Headingley Test
Gill played a captain’s knock. His unbeaten 127 runs held the batting effort together. He shared an important 129-run stand for the third wicket with Yashasvi Jaiswal, who continued his golden run in red-ball cricket with a classy 101.
After Jaiswal’s departure, Gill found an able partner in Rishabh Pant, and together they added an unbroken 138-run partnership to end the day firmly in India’s favour. Pant remained unbeaten on 65 runs. India closed Day 1 at 359/3 and look set for a massive first-innings total.
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