Hope is for responsibility to drive Gill in transition phase

Shubman Gill’s Test numbers are not great.
| Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI

Shubman Gill’s ascent to Indian Test captaincy at once seems like a normal rite of passage and not so.

There was hardly any doubt that he was the chosen one, considered the next batting great after Virat Kohli, and by extension the next man to carry the hopes of a billion odd people.

Yet, here was a player who until 15 months ago did not have an assured spot in Tests, did not have much captaincy experience and even now averages only 35.05 from 32 matches, albeit in a bowler-friendly era.

Ahead of the new World Test Championship cycle, the hope is for responsibility to drive Gill, just like it drove the now-retired duo of Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and see if his incredible ODI prowess and recently acquired T20 acumen — both as a batter and captain at Gujarat Titans — propel him into a higher orbit.

Train of thought

In fact, placing faith in talent and potential seems to be an integral part of the selectors’ train of thought in multiple picks, prime among them being those of B. Sai Sudharsan and Arshdeep Singh, both of whom have largely underwhelming First Class numbers.

There is no Mohammed Shami, and by the chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar’s own admission, bowling ace Jasprit Bumrah is not in a position to play all five Tests.

This puts immense pressure on Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep, who both have played just a combined 10 Tests.

Pant’s value

Rishabh Pant as vice-captain is an affirmation that the wicketkeeper-batter’s travails in white-ball cricket will not diminish his worth as a colossal red-ball performer.

Picking Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, and to an extent Shardul Thakur, shows that form in domestic cricket still matters.

With the giant shadow of R. Ashwin no longer there, left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav should come into his own.

Despite having made his debut in 2017, Kuldeep has played just 13 matches spread across nine series.

Though Ravindra Jadeja offers great bowling control, chips in with the bat, and is still supremely fit and moves across the turf like a Rolls-Royce, Kuldeep ought to be the go-to option.

With Kohli and Rohit having slipped into the sunset, K.L. Rahul, whose place in the side has forever been a topic of discussion, will be the senior-most batter (58 Tests).

But the 33-year-old comes with sound technique and a calm head, and it is expected that he will fully embrace the hand-holding job.