Shubman Gill, proud of India’s fight with a comparatively young team across four Tests, is now focused on what the final Test can bring.
With veterans like Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Rohit Sharma retired, the new captain’s leadership experience consists of just five first-class matches. Many have questioned his batting abilities abroad. Despite these doubts, the team led by the young skipper managed to keep the series alive in England after four Tests. Now, they aim to finish strong.
Though hopes of winning the series ended early, few expected much from this young team under a new captain. India trails in the series but if they can win the final Test and draw the series, that itself would be a major achievement for captain Shubman Gill.
After an exciting four Tests in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, England leads 2-1. In the fourth Test at Old Trafford, after a fierce fight from Lokesh Rahul and Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar’s remarkable performance saved India from defeat. Now at The Oval, their fight to save the series begins on Thursday.
Reflecting on the thrill of the series before the final Test, Gill said that securing a draw would bring great satisfaction.
“It will be very significant (to draw the series). The kind of cricket we have played, sometimes a series scorecard or our position in this series doesn’t fully reflect everything. After four days in every match, it was hard to tell which team was going to win.”
“With a comparatively young team, coming abroad and lasting four Tests like this — if we can finish the series in a draw, that will be a big achievement for us.”
On a personal level, this series has been unforgettable for Gill. In his debut series as Test captain, he has already scored 722 runs across four Tests in England, setting records and reaching milestones. The final Test offers him a chance to create even more history. His leadership both on and off the field has shown promise. While some of his on-field decisions have faced criticism — which is natural for a rookie captain — he has also earned recognition for leading aggressively and setting an example.
For Gill, this has been an incredible learning journey that he hopes to conclude on a high note.
“This series has been very educational for me. There are things that can only be learned through experience, and we have learned a lot from these four matches… I hope we can finish well too.”
