- August 1, 2025
Let’s face it, Test cricket isn’t easy these days. Between packed schedules, squads on rotation, injuries, and much more, keeping a team fully focused and firing on all cylinders is difficult anyway, and even more so when you’re adding in a younger squad, difficult conditions overseas, and added expectations. That’s the storm Shubman Gill is strapped into right now. Leading this relatively young Indian side in a tough, close Test series, leveling it wouldn’t be just a result; it would be a statement.
Growing Pains, Steep Gains: Gill’s Leadership Evolution
Let’s get one thing out of the way—Shubman Gill didn’t walk into this role with a glowing captain’s badge and decades of experience. Leading a squad filled with players still trying to cement their Test spots is about as challenging as it gets. But credit where it’s due—Gill has stepped into the role with a calm head and a learning attitude.
This series, more than any other, has forced him to become an adult very quickly. He has had to ask himself some tough questions – from trying to manage lineups with countless injuries to supporting lesser-known bowlers when it mattered the most; allow yourself the thought – without the normal players like Bumrah or Ashwin available, you are going to be under a microscope. The point being, Gill has not kept lower than he needed to keep, and he has acted with full maturity – this will include changing batting line-ups.
A Battle of Margins: Close Matches and Closer Calls
One of the biggest takeaways from this series? Every single match has gone down to the wire. We’re talking fifth-day, final-session thrillers—not just one, but match after match. It’s a rare kind of drama that shows how evenly matched both sides are, and how small moments decide outcomes.
Gill is well aware of this. In these types of games, field placements, bowling changes, or breaks matter. That’s where he is learning at warp speed. And while they’ve gone down narrowly, the fighting spirit of the team is impressive.
The young guys—think Abhimanyu Easwaran, Dhruv Jurel, or even the first-time spinners—have not just done their jobs, they’ve fought. And that spirit reflects on the captain. It’s not just about the big names. Rather, it’s about how the team is grinding out together.
More Than Just a Series: A Defining Learning Curve
It will not simply be another piece of data on a scorecard if India manages to level this series. For this group – and Gill, personally – it will be a major milestone. It is a bit of a coming-of-age situation for Gill.
We have all talked about players coming of age on challenging tours (Dravid in England 2002, Kohli in Australia 2014), and this could be Gill’s version. He is still feeling his way as a middle-order batter, and as a captain, the decisions he has been making in the nature and pace of play in this series are gradually forming that part of his identity.
The bigger picture? This is not only about outcomes. This is about creating a tone. A culture of belief in the next generation of players and resilience. Gill, whether he realizes it or not, is laying the foundation for the next era of Indian red-ball cricket.
What do you think? Are we watching the birth of India’s next great Test captain? Or just a glimpse? Either way, this much is true: Gill’s journey is just beginning.
