New Delhi [India], August 5 : 'Master Blaster' Sachin Tendulkar believes Shubman Gill had a "fantastic approach" during his first captaincy assignment for India in Test format, but feels there were areas where things could have been done differently.
India's youngest Test captain, Gill, led his side from the front and concluded the exacting Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy on level terms with a 2-2 scoreline. There were plenty of speculations and prophecies about how Gill would fare in the colossal challenge.
Throughout the five Tests, Gill was tested by a much refined England's 'Bazball' style of play. With enough firepower and players with robust technique, the Three Lions put Gill and India in a pickle. The opening pacers leaked runs, criticism of the team's composition and bowlers' rotation posed challenges that Gill had to navigate.
Sachin emphasised that despite the peculiar nature of the dilemma he was in, Gill maintained his calm and composed nature while trying to tussle for control and conjuring a way to steer his side out of the conundrum.
"Captaincy has a lot to do with how bowlers are bowling, how disciplined they are, and how long they can persist with their plans. Sometimes, when things do not go their way, they start experimenting," Sachin said in a video posted on his Reddit channel.
That is where the captain feels that the 11 players he has are not enough; I need 2-3 more because runs are flowing from both ends, and it is not comforting at all. He still looked calm and composed. When a partnership is going on, it is difficult for any captain to have a game plan and dry those runs," he added.
The legendary batter and former skipper felt India could have tried to put the foot off the accelerator to slow things down instead of matching England's intensity, who love to bat at a brisk pace. While adopting a "boring" style of cricket, Sachin believed India could have benefited from their fielding.
"When you play against England, you can afford to play boring cricket. If you try slowing things down, they will try putting their foot on the accelerator harder. This could work in favour of the fielding side sometimes. Overall, he controlled the team and game well," he said.
"There were areas where things could have been different, but everyone has different opinions; it was his first series against perhaps the most attacking side in the world. The way they bat, no one else brings that approach. Overall, a fantastic approach. 2-2. Things could have been different, but there are no ifs and buts in cricket," he added.
On the personal front, from Leeds to London, Gill's robust technique stole the show and made headlines for changing historical records on numerous occasions. He pulled the curtains down on his stellar campaign as the leading run-getter with a whopping tally of 754 at 75.40.
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