India skipper Shubman Gill said that he did not ever doubt his team’s ability to pick 20 wickets even in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah.
| Photo Credit: AP
India skipper Shubman Gill said that he did not ever doubt his team’s ability to pick 20 wickets even in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah.
“I have said this before, this is one of the best Indian teams to play here and I believe we can take 20 wickets in any situation or conditions,” Gill said on Sunday (July 6, 2025), after the huge 336-run win over England in the second Test.
Best in the business
“Jasprit bhai is one of the best bowlers in the world, but irrespective of that fact [his absence], we can take 20 wickets anywhere. And this was just another example.”
Gill, who tasted his maiden victory as Test captain, said that the turning point of the match came late on Saturday when Akash Deep left England stunned by removing both Ben Duckett and Joe Root cheaply.
“Getting through a top-four is never easy and that spell of Akash, how he got those two wickets, gave confidence to everyone that we can win this Test. And when he came [on Sunday morning], with the ball hitting the cracks and the odd ball seaming, that too instilled confidence.”
The 25-year-old was overall impressed with India’s bowling on a largely unresponsive pitch. The job was made doubly difficult with the ball refusing to yield to the bowler’s will once the shine went off.
“We can be a little more consistent with our lines and our lengths, but sometimes you don’t get the wickets you deserve. Bowling, like batting, is always in partnerships. So the way we bowled from both the ends in this match, and not just the fast bowlers, was good.
“The wicket of the captain [Ben Stokes] by Washington [Sundar] was crucial. There are small moments that are very crucial for you to win. And we captured those small moments very well.”
Gill was also happy with his own batting discipline, staying in the middle for over 12 hours to make scores of 269 and 161, which earned him the Player-of-the-Match award.
Lead by example
“When you are the captain, you need to lead by example,” he said. “And whenever there is another player in that situation, you can command to that player: ‘this is what the team requires’.
“And you always have to put the team first rather than your personal desires. That’s what I wanted to do. If a good ball gets me out, it gets me out. But as long as I am there, I want to play as long as possible,” Gill added.
Published – July 07, 2025 12:22 am IST
