Alastair Cook Discusses Shubman Gill's Future in Captaincy, Makes Huge Claim: 'You Could See Lots Of People...'

Shubman Gill encountered various challenges on his Test captaincy debut in Leeds. The 25-year-old has very big shoes to fill in Test cricket, but didn't have the desired start to his Test captaincy.

Alastair Cook Assessed Shubman Gill's Captaincy Credentials

Shubman Gill will have a lot to ponder with in the second Test as there have been reports that the bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah could be rested at Edgbaston, keeping in mind his huge workload. The 31 year old has been the flagbearer of Indian bowling and further stood up with a five wicket haul in the first inning. Gill's leadership ability has also faced criticism as his defensive captaincy method has been questioned by a section.

Former England captain Alastair Cook feels that during the latter part of the match in a lot of Indian players were calling the shots on the field instead of captain Shubman Gill. As quoted by the Indian Express, Cook wrote in his Sunday Times column, “You could see lots of people out on the field making decisions and getting involved with DRS calls, and they got all of those wrong. You can read all the leadership books you like but until you are out there, there is no other feeling like it. I imagine he [Gill] would have felt shell-shocked."

Also Read: Karun Nair vs Sai Sudharsan: Gautam Gambhir's Big Selection Call For Edgbaston Test Likely To Decide India's Fate In The IND vs ENG Series

Shubman Gill Will Face Fierce Challenge At Edgbaston

Despite five centuries by Indian batters, England defied the odds and chased down a whopping 371 runs in the 4th innings to secure a historic victory at Headingley. India's Questionable selection has been under the scanner, and Shardul Thakur's lacklustre impact as a bowling all-rounder drew a lot of ire. He didn't fare well with the ball while with the bat, and he also failed to back up his performance.

It remains to be seen whether India make any changes to the team. Both Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh have emerged as potential options for Gautam Gambhir. Mohammed Siraj, particularly, had a tough outing in Leeds and the Indian fast bowler could face the axe if the management feels the need to refurbish the lineup. Shubman's captaincy credentials have been in show with the Gujarat Titans in the IPL and he needs to channel his inner through to get the best out of the players.

Also Read: IND vs ENG: Shubman Gill Finds Support In India's Arch-Rival, English Legend Backs Newly Appointed Test Skipper While Comparing Him To Ben Stokes