Shubman Gill's captaincy debut in England has been far from smooth, with former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar pointing out that the young leader has been "thrown into the deep end". Manjrekar feels Gill is carrying "immense responsibility" on his shoulders during this challenging assignment. India arrived in England without key batsmen Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, aiming for an unprecedented series win, a feat they haven't achieved since 2007. However, after showing fight in the first three Tests, they trail 2-1 in the five-match series.
Manjrekar has analyzed the reasons behind India's struggles at Old Trafford in Manchester. Injuries to key players like Akash Deep and Nitish Kumar Reddy have upset the team's balance. Anshul Kamboj was flown in and immediately included in the XI but has struggled to meet the demands of Test cricket. Manjrekar highlighted that Gill is on his first tour to England as a batter and is now captain, bearing significant responsibility. He acknowledged Gill's fight in the initial Tests but believes the current game is particularly challenging given the circumstances and available resources. The absence of Akash Deep, who took 10 wickets in the previous Test, due to injury, further weakened the bowling attack, and Kamboj has found it difficult to adjust to Test cricket.
Adding to the pressure, Gill faced hostility from the Manchester crowd during the fourth Test. He was booed as he came out to bat, a response to his comments in the pre-match press conference regarding England's players violating the 'spirit of the game' by allegedly delaying play in the previous Test at Lord's. Gill had criticized Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett for their late arrival to the crease on the third day of the Lord's Test. Despite the hostile reception, Gill initially responded with well-timed shots, briefly silencing the crowd. However, his innings was short-lived, as Ben Stokes dismissed him, further fueling the atmosphere with an animated celebration.
The Indian team faces an uphill battle at Old Trafford, a ground where they haven't won a Test match in their previous nine attempts since 1936. A loss in this fourth Test would mean losing the series and missing out on a chance to win a Test series on English soil for the first time in 18 years. Furthermore, failing to win would make Manchester the first ground where India has played 10 or more games without a single victory.
Despite the challenges, there's still hope for the team. According to Ricky Ponting, India is in a challenging position after England posted a significant total and lead, but he anticipates a strong comeback from the team. Jasprit Bumrah has also achieved a milestone, becoming the third Asian seamer to take 50 Test wickets in England.
