Shubman Gill did not mince words after India’s five-wicket defeat in Leeds. The new captain wants his top order – himself included – to finish what they start when the series resumes at Edgbaston on Friday.
“We were 430 for 3 and 340 for 4. From there you really should bat the opposition out,” Gill reminded reporters during a quiet afternoon at Birmingham. “When we were batting, I felt I could have, now looking back at it… the kind of shot I played, I felt I could have batted a little bit more, added another 50 runs with Rishabh [Pant]. That was my learning from when I was batting.”
Gill’s dismissal – lofting Shoaib Bashir straight to deep mid-wicket on 147 – triggered a slide of 7 for 41 on day three. A day later, India lost 6 for 31. England, grateful for the openings, chased 264 with time and wickets in hand.
Pressed on whether the lower order had been told to rein it in, Gill again took ownership.
“Definitely [chats have been had]. It’s been one of the things that we always talk about, especially with our batting depth… the lower order sometimes isn’t able to contribute as much as the other teams.
“Having said that, you can also look at the other side as well. I was batting on 147 and the way I got out, maybe I could have scored 50 more in partnership with Rishabh. If you get a good ball and you get out, that’s fine, but once you are set and you know that you don’t really have that much depth in your batting order, maybe the top order could take a little bit more responsibility and bat the opposition completely out of the game. So I think these are different perspectives to look at the game, but definitely your lower order when your last five or six don’t contribute as much, then it becomes easier for the opposition to come back in the game.”
India’s conundrum is familiar: how to lengthen the batting without softening the bowling. Jasprit Bumrah is fit but, with five Tests crammed into seven weeks, the medical team have advised he sit out one match. Edgbaston, with a dry, straw-coloured strip after a warm spell, might be the resting point.
If Bumrah does miss out, the selectors have to decide whether to replace him with a like-for-like quick or to bring in a second spinner. Washington Sundar’s all-round skills appeal, but Kuldeep Yadav’s wrist-spin offers greater bite. Gill kept his cards close.
“When we were bowling, there were learnings like once the ball is getting old and it’s getting soft, there isn’t much happening,” he said. “So how do you contain? How do you control the run flow, especially with the way they bat? Maybe having an extra spinner might help contain that run flow, especially in the third or in the fourth innings.”
Would Bumrah’s absence open the door for Kuldeep? “We will take that [final] call this evening, and I don’t it will change the combination as such,” Gill added, hinting that any alterations will be minimal. Reading between the lines, a straight swap – a pacer for Bumrah, a spinner for Shardul Thakur – sounds the likeliest compromise.
Numbers back Gill’s concerns. In Leeds, India’s last five wickets contributed 72 runs across two innings; England’s tail managed 108. That difference proved decisive on a surface that remained true into the final session.
Former England opener Mark Butcher, on television duty, noted: “India had the game by the scruff of the neck twice. When you’re 400-odd for three you don’t just aim for 500, you look at 600-plus. That psychological blow matters in modern Test cricket.” The view echoed around Birmingham’s practice nets where batting coach Vikram Rathour spent extra time with Nos. 8 to 11, throwing slower, softer balls to replicate the old Duke.
Edgbaston traditionally offers early movement but settles quickly, and Warwickshire’s ground staff have left more grass on one side to help fast bowlers. Even so, the pitch looks bare underneath. Visiting teams have repeatedly gone in with two spinners here since 2021, including England last summer against West Indies.
Selection therefore remains a tussle between protecting the lower order and attacking with variety. Sundar’s ability to bat at seven could free Ravindra Jadeja to play more expansively, yet Kuldeep’s wrong’uns threaten England’s left-handers. The decision may come down to cloud cover on the first morning.
The skipper, though, keeps returning to accountability with the bat. “The bowlers kept giving us chances. If we’re honest, we left 150 runs out there,” he admitted. “We talk about learning, but at some point learning has to turn into doing.”
His own method at Headingley – fluent drives, late cuts, soft hands outside off – was instructive until that one release stroke. Coaches have urged him to embrace the grind that brought his maiden first-class double century at the same venue three years ago. Gill, 25, believes the lesson is straightforward: stay in, score big, put the match beyond doubt.
Rain is forecast for parts of day four, reducing the margin for error. A second successive defeat would leave India chasing the series. Yet the feeling around the camp is calm rather than anxious, helped by two good practice days and encouraging medical bulletins: Pant’s back twinge has settled, and Mohammed Siraj’s bruised toe is no longer causing limp.
The briefing ended with Gill reiterating the theme. “Responsibility,” he said softly. “We have the skill. Now it’s about responsibility.”
