Nasser Hussain critiques Gill's debut, says lacked Rohit-Virat's aura

India’s newly appointed Test captain Shubman Gill has come under criticism following the team’s five-wicket defeat to England in the series opener, despite a strong batting performance from the hosts. Former England skipper Nasser Hussain remarked that Gill, in his debut as captain, lacked the commanding presence of his predecessors Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

 

England chased down a massive 371-run target in the fourth innings to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Despite five Indian batters registering centuries across both innings, India failed to seal the game, leading to questions around on-field leadership.  Nasser feels Gill lacked leadership during 1st Test

 

“I saw someone still learning the ropes,” Hussain said on Sky Sports. “He didn't quite show the assertive body language that Rohit and Kohli brought to the field. At times, he appeared to be following the game rather than taking charge of it.” Hussain also said that at times there were two to three captains on the field which wasn't the case during the captaincy eras of Rohit and Kohli.

 

Hussain also pointed to the lack of clarity in leadership on the field, suggesting that India seemed to be operating under “captaincy by committee.” 

 

Still, the former England captain was quick to acknowledge that not all of the loss could be blamed on Gill. “The real issues were the dropped catches and repeated batting collapses. That’s not something a captain can entirely control,” he said.

 

Hussain further stressed India’s need for a reliable seam-bowling all-rounder, especially when playing away from subcontinental conditions.

 

“In Indian conditions, they’ve had great spin all-rounders like Ashwin, Jadeja, and Axar. But in England, they’re missing a fast-bowling all-rounder who can add value with the bat. These collapses, 6 for 31, 7 for 41, are troubling.”

 

Shastri Defends Gill's Leadership 

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri took a more sympathetic view, praising Gill’s individual performance and urging the team to reflect on the broader issues rather than pointing fingers.

 

“As captain, Gill has done more than expected. He scored a century in his first game leading the side. Dropped catches and batting collapses aren't things he can control,” Shastri said.

 

Gill scored a superb 147 in the first innings before falling cheaply in the second with just 8 runs.

 

Shastri added that India let a golden opportunity slip. “You don’t often get to boss a game against England like this, especially at home. They had the chance to dictate terms, and they let it go.”

 

He also urged the lower order to show more grit. “The tail needs to show more resistance. Put a price on your wicket. Play for time if nothing else.”

 

Shastri emphasized the importance of having Jasprit Bumrah in the XI for the second Test in Birmingham starting July 2. Bumrah, who picked up a five-wicket haul in England’s first innings, is reportedly managing his workload and may miss two matches in the series.

 

“If resting him was the plan, they may need to reconsider. Falling 2-0 behind in a five-Test series could be disastrous,” he warned. 

 

Broad: “India Missed Their Moments” 

Former England pacer Stuart Broad also weighed in, suggesting that India let the match slip despite having multiple chances to close it out.

 

“India had so many opportunities to kill the game. But England hung in there, fought back, and chased it down brilliantly,” Broad said.

 

He praised England’s resilience and the brilliance of opener Ben Duckett during the chase, calling it “a sensational run chase” and “classic England under pressure.