Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc has expressed his admiration for India's Test captain, Shubman Gill, while also raising questions about the nature of pitches being prepared in England. Starc's comments come amidst Gill's impressive start to his Test captaincy, marked by significant scores in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series.
Speaking on the Willow Talk Podcast, Starc admitted to following the India-England Test series and observing the high scores being achieved. "I wouldn't bowl to him in England, that's for sure," Starc said, acknowledging Gill's prowess with the bat. He noted that his Australian teammates, including Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey, and Steve Smith, were also keeping a close watch on the matches.
Starc also commented on the pitches in England, describing them as "sub-continent like," a remark that has stirred some debate. He expressed surprise at the batting-friendly conditions, suggesting they were unusual for England. "Looking at the scores, those pitches looked brutal for bowlers," Starc added.
Since taking on the Test captaincy, Shubman Gill has been in exceptional form, allaying any doubts about his technique and temperament. In his debut innings as captain, Gill scored a century and followed it up with scores of 269 and 161 in India's victory at Edgbaston. Gill's recent scores have significantly boosted his Test average, which now stands at 42.72. With three centuries in four innings, including a double century, Gill has amassed 585 runs on the tour. He is also close to surpassing Rahul Dravid's record for the most runs in a single tour of England. Of those, 430 runs came at Edgbaston, including 269 in the first innings. He became only the second batter to score over 150 in both innings of a Test match, following Allan Border.
Starc was asked by Alyssa Healy on the podcast whether the high scores in England were a concern ahead of the Ashes series. However, Starc dismissed any such worries, emphasizing that the pitches in Australia would be vastly different. "I'm not reading into any of that," Starc stated. He added that it would be unwise to draw conclusions based on the English pitches, just as it would be to analyze the Australian team based on wickets that are challenging to bat on.
Gill's captaincy has also drawn praise from former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who lauded Gill's calm and composed demeanor. Tendulkar believes that Gill's good form with the bat positively influences his decision-making as captain. "As an opposition, you normally look for the weak areas in the batting and technique, but he has been batting remarkably and has been special," Tendulkar said.
During the third Test at Lord's, Gill's tactical acumen was also on display. Despite a dropped catch, Gill made a strategic bowling change, introducing Nitish Kumar Reddy into the attack, which led to two quick wickets. Gill even engaged in some playful banter with the English players, teasing them about their slow scoring rate, remarking, "No more entertaining cricket, lads. Welcome back to boring Test cricket".
Shubman Gill, often called the "Prince of Indian cricket," has been representing India in all formats of the game since his international debut in 2019. He also captains the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and represents Punjab in domestic cricket. Gill has also achieved several milestones in his ODI career, including being the fastest to reach 2000 and 2500 runs.
