Cricketer-turned-expert Saba Karim lavished huge praise on India skipper Shubman Gill's instinctive leadership on Day five of the fifth & final Oval Test, where the visitors held their nerves to win by six runs. The former wicketkeeper-batter stated that the fifth day was the most crucial part of the entire Test series.
Needing just 35 runs with four wickets in hand, the hosts were favorites to win the match. However, Mohammed Siraj & Prasidh Krishna bowled terrifically in tandem to knock the stuffing out of England. During a discussion on Sony Sports, Karim noted that Gill's leadership was properly tested on the final day of the series.
"The 45 minutes to one hour's play that happened today (Monday), I feel Shubman Gill's captaincy was properly tested there, his temperament, and the kind of decisions he takes. This was the most critical phase of the entire Test series. One can understand that you had to bowl Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna only, and you didn't have to take the second new ball," he said.
The expert further went on to state that Shubman Gill had no choice but to use Prasidh and Siraj, only as he refrained from taking the new ball. The former keeper-batter stated that the trickiest aspect for the 25-year-old was to set the field accurately.
"However, he had to decide what field positionings to keep when you had two batters first, and then when the last pair was at the crease. Chris Woakes was at the other end, and you knew Gus Atkinson was trying to play shots at one end, and he played shots as well," Saba elaborated.
Shubman Gill trusted his instincts very well: Saba Karim
Karim also lauded the way the young India skipper trusted his instincts well when Gus Atkinson & Chris Woakes were two hits away from winning the match.
"I feel making those decisions was the most difficult for Shubman. He said another excellent thing when he spoke to (Cheteshwar) Pujara. He said he had come with plans and strategies, but, in the end, he took many instinctive decisions. I feel these are subtle signs that you want to create your own image," he observed.
The expert was also highly impressed by the way Gill batted and said he never seemed fazed by the pressure of captaincy when he was batting.
"The way he started, it seemed like there was no pressure of captaincy when he was batting, and that should be the case as well. You became a young captain because the selectors showed faith in your batting. He inspired the team with his game. He has contributed somehow or other in every Test match," he responded.
Gill finished the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy as the leading run-getter with a colossal 754 runs to his name in 10 innings with an average of over 80. He scored four centuries as well - two of those in the third Test.
