IND vs ENG: 'Did He Get His Captaincy Right?' - Shubman Gill Under The Scanner as India Struggle to Save Series vs England

The India vs England five Test series was always going to be a baptism by fire for new captain Shubman Gill. This was doubly the case given he was leading a by and large new-look side that was without two veterans in Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, as well as being a key player a batting line-up that needed a lot of retooling. 

Gill has largely shone with the bat in the series, but his captaincy has been about what one can expect from a skipper still learning the ropes. 

And now his decisions have been questioned by former India player Dinesh Karthik, who said there were a lot of things Gill could do better. 

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Karthik Pinpoints Gill's Failures

Karthik said that Gill's notable mistakes include the playing XI he chose as well as some of the bowling changes he made, the latter of which allowed England to pile on a huge first innings score. 

"I think he’s enjoying the fact that he is a captain because he can control the narrative in a lot of ways. Did he get his captaincy right? I don’t think so. There are areas where he will look back and say, ‘I could have done this better'. Starting from the playing XI he chose, to the kind of bowling changes he made," he told Cricbuzz.

India enter the fifth day of the penultimate Test knowing even a draw means they are going to be denied a series win in England. 

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How India Can Still Win The Match

For the visitors, the game plan would be to get a quick start to the match and not only overhaul England's score but also get a lead that could work as a proper target. 

Given they will also need to bowl the hosts out, they will need time in hand - ideally a session and a half on the final day of the match. 

The good news is that the weather Gods will likely not intervene, as Manchester has only a 22% chance of rain on Sunday (July 27).