Shubman Gill trumpets winning a test series over IPL as he begins India captaincy
It seems like Shubman Gill’s love of test cricket is as strong as it was for the great Virat Kohli, one of his predecessors as India’s red-ball captain.
Heading into his first assignment as test captain, Gill was asked Thursday if he’d prefer to win the upcoming five-match series in England or the title in the Indian Premier League.
“Definitely the test series, in my opinion,” Gill said, without hesitation. “You don’t get many opportunities as a captain to come to England, maybe two. If you are the best of your generation, maybe three.
“IPL comes every year and you get to have a crack at it every year. In my opinion, winning a test series in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa is bigger.”
Those words will be music to the ears of Kohli, a former India captain who retired from test cricket last month after a 14-year red-ball career in which he scored 9,230 runs, including 30 centuries, and led his country in 68 matches.
Kohli sees test cricket as the sport’s ultimate format and remained a huge advocate amid the startling rise of the T20 game, helping to change his country’s attitude toward the longer format.
Speaking recently after winning his maiden IPL title while playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Kohli said: “This moment is right up there with the best moments I’ve had in my career, but it still marks five levels under test cricket. That’s how much I value test cricket. That’s how much I love test cricket. I would just urge youngsters coming through to treat that format with respect.
“If you perform in test cricket, you walk around anywhere in the world, people look you in the eye, shake your hand and say well done, you played the game really well. If you want to earn respect in world cricket all over, take up test cricket, give your heart and soul to it and earn the respect from legends.”
The next generation of players, now led by Gill, appears to have the same mindset in a new era without Kohli and Rohit Sharma, another great who recently retired from test cricket.
Gill, who will take Kohli’s spot at No. 4 in the batting order, was asked at a news conference Thursday — on the eve of the first test against England at Headingley — about his team’s likely approach over the next few weeks against an opponent famed for its enterprising “Bazball” strategy.
He wasn’t so forthcoming.
“You’re going to have to wait until August to see what kind of style it’s going to be,” Gill said with a smile.
Adding a bit on his “vision,” Gill said he wants to help “create an environment in the team where everyone feels secure.”
“I personally believe everyone’s best performances come when they are feeling most secure and they are feeling validated,” he said
Gill said he will only finalize India’s team after looking at the pitch and conditions.
India last won a test series in England in 2007.
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