For India to come off England tour by levelling the series is just unbelievable, says Deep Dasgupta

New Delhi, Aug 7 With stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma stepping away from Tests, expectations were understandably cautious around how a young Indian side led by Shubman Gill would handle the challenge of a five-match series in England.

Only eight members of the squad had previously played Tests in England. Adding to the uncertainty was India’s pre-decided plan to field Jasprit Bumrah in just three of the five Tests - a move that raised questions about the bowling unit’s ability to take 20 wickets consistently.

Compounding the pressure was India’s recent form, with Test series defeats at home to New Zealand and away in Australia. But after 25 days of compelling cricket, India staged a spirited comeback to draw the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series 2-2. Former India wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta spoke exclusively to IANS about the drawn series, Gill’s roles as batter and captain, and what lies ahead for a team clearly in transition.

Q. How do you assess India’s comeback from 2-1 down after the Lord’s Test to level the series?

A. It’s obviously a team which is going through a transition and, and what I make of it is, one is that India's Test cricket future in good hands. Obviously there were these huge questions when Virat, Rohit, and Ashwin retired.

Then there was a new captain in Gill and there were questions in terms of where is this team going? Plus, touring England is one of the most toughest assignments in cricket - not just for India, but for any team and country. So to come off it by levelling the series, it's just unbelievable, undoubtedly.

Q. Gill clearly had a tour to remember with the bat in Tests. How do you analyse his performances on this tour?

A. Gill the batter was just phenomenal - 754 runs, that's kind of unheard of. Not too many people have scored more than that in a series. So, 754 runs and the way he batted, he looked solid. Apart from that second innings at Lord’s, he never looked like he was getting out. So, apart from that, it just never looked like he would get out to anything.

That solidity is what you want while playing at number four for the Indian team, which I always thought was Gill’s eventual position in red ball cricket. So, him batting at number four, scoring so many runs and getting a hundred in the first innings itself, that helps as a captain.

When you are captaining for the first time, you go out there and do really well in your skill set, and have more confidence when you are talking in dressing room, or in a huddle talking to the players as a captain. You definitely have a lot more authority when you are doing well as an individual, and one could see that helped.

Q. How would you assess Gill’s leadership skills in his first assignment as India’s Test captain?

A. As far as captaincy is concerned, I think he is a work in progress. I think he will only get better. There were a few things I did not agree with starting from team selection to how he used his bowlers and stuff like that. But then, we'll see how it goes.

Q. There was some chatter around team selection, particularly Kuldeep Yadav not getting a game. What’s your take on that?

A. You can't put it on Shubman alone. Yes, Shubman as well and then the team management - Gautam and the coaches, they also come into the picture. So, it's not just him. I mean, obviously, he is a new captain and needs hand-holding as well, as he’s somebody who does not have a lot of captaincy experience in red-ball cricket prior to this. So, he will find his groove and rhythm well as a captain.

Q. There were runs from Jaiswal, Rahul, Pant, Jadeja, Washington, and even Akash Deep. Do you believe number three spot is the only unsettled position?

A. Everything was sorted in batting, but we have got to be a little patient for number three. I mean, with youngsters like Sai or for that matter, even Karun Nair or Abhimanyu Easwaran, who didn't get an opportunity. But most importantly for me, this series was about how many questions will be answered. I thought, almost all of them has been answered, barring maybe one or two questions.

Q. Is there a defining image or moment from this series that encapsulates the character of this Indian team and is etched in your memory?

A. What I honestly believe is every team should have two things. One is the philosophy - how do you want to play? Secondly is the identity – like what are you guys? I think philosophy we are yet to figure out because again, it's too early to say anything about the philosophy of this team or how they want to play, which we will figure out later.

But I think the identity is quite clear. These guys are warriors and they will not give an absolute inch and they won't ask for either. The picture that epitomizes that for me is Rishabh Pant walking with a broken or fractured foot in the first innings itself at Old Trafford. He could have very easily said or rather, I wouldn't say he or I'm sure the other guys all put together would have said, you know what, he can come out to bat if required in the second innings.

But it was in the first innings that he came out to bat. I saw his foot, about which it’s lesser said than better. But that picture of him walking down the stairs, coming out to bat in the first innings with a broken foot, I think that image would stay in my mind for a very long time. It did epitomize what this team is all about.

Q. With a new World Test Championship cycle underway, how do you see the future of this Indian Test side panning out?

A. One is we know overseas, that's a big tick for this team. Now comes the home challenges. This team should go from strength to strength, because if you look at this WTC cycle, for me, the two toughest series was one this England series, and the next one is at end of 2026, when Test matches are in New Zealand.

It's time to kind of rebuild as within a transition phase, there are two phases - one is when the last or previous generation is leaving, and then there is a point where the newer players take over. I think this from the next series onwards, for me, it'll be important to see how they go because you'll have to back someone at number three in that batting order – whether it’s Sai, Karun or Abhimanyu.

You also need a fast bowling all-rounder and for bowlers to start contributing with the bat. So, those are the things that should be the focus areas going forward. In terms of are the bowlers contributing with the bat, India is kind of investing in someone like a Nitish Kumar Reddy, who comes in as a third or the fourth seamer.

How much then it would be advantageous, because you're not playing too many games away from home, in those bowling and seam-friendly conditions. But then the challenge is to make sure you kind of groom somebody for that role when it arrives. You can't just let it go, because in India, we've got enough superb spin bowling all-rounders. But that doesn't mean you forget that in a few years' or months' time, you would need a seam bowling all-rounder when you're travelling to SENA countries.

Q. There was plenty of discussion around India’s balance — whether to prioritise batting depth or go with a bowling attack capable of taking 20 wickets. In your view, how can this team strike the right formula going forward?

A. In future, I would love to see even in these conditions, someone like Kuldeep Yadav getting a game. That will only happen when you have a settled batting order and you can 100% rely on the seven batters. As much as this team is criticised for not going with Kuldeep, I understand why that happens. Hopefully, by the time we go abroad or travel overseas to SENA countries, you would have that settled with seven batters.

Also, the lack of contribution from the bowlers with the bat played a part. In the first Test, for instance, there was nothing from the last four batters, and all of that added to the situation. As much as we all wanted Kuldeep in the eleven, and I’m sure the team wanted this too, the decision becomes more understandable when you consider the lack of lower-order runs and the uncertainty at number three, which is such a psychologically important batting position.

If you have a set number three, psychologically, you look at a team very, very differently. You can afford to then not worry about it. If you have, let's say, someone like a Rahul Dravid or Cheteshwar Pujara at number three, then that is a very important position which India needs to kind of quickly sort that out.

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