"Against England, you can afford to play boring cricket" - Indian legend's interesting take on Shubman Gill's captaincy after ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar reflected on Shubman Gill's captaincy during the recently concluded Test series against England. India leveled the series 2-2 with a thrilling six-run win at The Oval.

Notably, this was Shubman Gill's first series as Test captain after he took over from Rohit Sharma, who retired from the format before the England tour. Tendulkar reckoned that captaincy depends on how disciplined the bowlers are, how they perform, and how long they can persist with their plans. He thought Gill was calm and composed as a leader when things were difficult for the bowlers.

The batting great believed that the visitors could sometimes play boring cricket against England as a strategy.

"He still looked calm and composed. Mainly against England, you can afford to play boring cricket because if you slow down the game, they will put the foot on the accelerator harder and that can work in the fielding side's favor. I felt Gill controlled the team well," he said on his YouTube channel. (5:53)

However, Tendulkar also expressed that there was scope for improvement in some areas. That said, he believed that it was a great result for India overall, also considering that it was Shubman Gill's first series as captain.

"There were areas where things could have been different. But this was his first series and possibly against the most attacking side in the world. All in all, a great result. Things could have been different, but there are no ifs and buts in cricket," he added.

A series draw in England would give Gill immense confidence as he started off his captaincy career.

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Sachin Tendulkar lauds Shubman Gill's batting

Sachin Tendulkar also lauded Shubman Gill for the way he batted throughout the series. He reckoned that Gill looked calm, composed, and organized. Tendulkar was impressed with his thought process and approach.

"When it comes to quality batting, you need to have a clear head and a game plan. He was extremely consistent as far as his thought process was concerned. It reflects on your footwork. His body was responding brilliantly, he looked so much in control," he said. (4:31)

"The most important thing I noticed was the respect to a good ball where the tendency sometimes is to push the ball. He was able to consistently defend well. The ability to leave was also good. Overall, the shot selection was precise," he added.

Shubman Gill not only led from the front as captain but also took responsibility as a batter. He played crucial knocks at the number four position throughout. The right-hander did not let the absence of senior batters in the team be felt.

He was the highest run-scorer with 754 runs at an average of 75.4. The Indian captain slammed four hundreds that included a double-hundred as well. Moreover, he was adjudged India's 'Player of the Series'.