Australian women’s captain Alyssa Healy suggests that opposing teams can rattle India’s young skipper Shubman Gill by getting under his skin, especially after his recent on-field confrontations.
A Tough Test for Shubman Gill
The third Test between India and England at Lord’s proved to be a challenging one for Indian captain Shubman Gill. After an impressive 430 runs in the previous Test at Edgbaston, Gill struggled with the bat, scoring just 16 and 6.
Beyond his batting performance, Gill also found himself in the spotlight for a heated exchange. On the third day, as England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett came out to bat, Crawley’s attempts to delay play led to a verbal confrontation with Gill, who was seen pointing fingers at the English batsman.
Alyssa Healy’s Take on Rattling Gill
Speaking on the Willow Talk Podcast, Australian skipper Alyssa Healy weighed in on the incident and offered insight into how teams might approach Gill. She noted that information suggests Gill can be rattled when opponents go hard at him.
“I read some stuff about when teams go hard at (Shubman) Gill, it can rattle him a little bit,” Healy stated. She believes that if England has even a slight hint of this, they will capitalize on it, especially given Gill’s earlier success in the series.
Healy emphasized that there’s “a way to get under his skin a little bit.” This strategy is often used against top players, particularly captains, to disrupt their focus and performance.
The Captaincy Challenge
Healy highlighted the common tactic of targeting the opposing captain. “Teams generally go hard at the skipper,” she explained. The belief is that if you can get the captain out cheaply or disturb their composure, it creates an advantage for your team.
Given India’s struggles with the top order in the Lord’s Test, where Ravindra Jadeja’s resilient 61 not out was a standout, England’s aggressive approach paid off. Ben Stokes led his team to a 22-run victory, taking three crucial wickets himself in the second innings.
Healy anticipates that England will continue this aggressive tactic against Gill in the remaining two Tests. “If England even sniff even a little bit of weakness there, they’ll ram that home. They’ll go hard,” she added.
Jonathan Trott’s Criticism
Former England batsman Jonathan Trott also commented on Gill’s confrontational behavior, drawing a parallel to a previous Indian captain, widely believed to be Virat Kohli. Trott expressed disapproval of Gill’s on-field actions.
“I don’t like the acting from Shubman Gill, as a captain you set the tone,” Trott remarked on JioHotstar. He felt that Gill’s finger-pointing and confrontational style were unnecessary, despite supporting competitiveness on the field.
Trott believes that a captain should sometimes rise above such situations, suggesting that Gill’s actions could set a tense tone for the upcoming matches.
- Shubman Gill struggled with the bat and engaged in a confrontation in the third Test at Lord’s.
- Alyssa Healy believes teams can “rattle” Gill by getting under his skin.
- Targeting the opposing captain is a common strategy to disrupt team morale.
- Former England batsman Jonathan Trott criticized Gill’s confrontational on-field behavior.
As the series progresses, all eyes will be on how Shubman Gill responds to the pressure and if England continues to test his resolve on the field.
