Gill's Captaincy Blunders Put India on the Back Foot in Manchester Test

In the Manchester Test match, the host England has reached a position from where their defeat seems almost impossible. On the other hand, even drawing the match looks difficult for India. A major reason for this is the bowlers' average performance and Shubman Gill's poor captaincy.

Shubman Gill, India vs England 4th Test: The third day's play in the fourth Test match between India and England at Old Trafford, Manchester, belonged firmly to the English team. Dominating all three sessions, England completely seized control of the match, effectively knocking India out of contention on day three itself. At the close of play, England had reached 544/7, establishing a lead of 186 runs. India's first innings had ended on 358 runs.

India's Defeat Almost Certain, Captaincy Questioned

In the Manchester Test, the home side, England, has reached a position from which defeat seems almost impossible. A major reason for this is the average performance of the bowlers and Shubman Gill's poor captaincy. Gill has been making one blunder after another in his captaincy since the first match. Sometimes he makes mistakes in field placement, and sometimes he fails to decide which bowler to use in which situation.

Late Introduction of Washington Sundar a Turning Point

Something similar happened on the third day of the Manchester Test. Gill's captaincy in this match also appeared lacklustre. On the third day, while English batsmen were smashing the fast bowlers, the pitch was offering some assistance to spin. Despite this, Gill didn't bring on Washington Sundar until the 68th over. When Sundar finally bowled, he quickly picked up crucial wickets of Ollie Pope and Harry Brook, highlighting the potential benefit of bringing him on earlier. This decision has put Gill's captaincy under scrutiny. The delay in introducing Sundar was baffling. Shubman also didn't utilise Shardul Thakur effectively.

Three Century Partnerships Push India on the Back Foot

In this match, England forged three century partnerships, one after another, pushing Team India onto the back foot. First, Jack Crawley and Ben Duckett provided a strong start with a 166-run partnership. Then, Ollie Pope and Joe Root added 144 runs for the third wicket. Finally, another century partnership was forged between Joe Root and captain Ben Stokes for the fifth wicket. These three-century partnerships have put England in a commanding position.