Former India cricketer and commentator Mohammad Kaif has shown his support for Shubman Gill, the new Test captain of India, following the opening Test at Headingley, Leeds. Kaif commended Gill’s leadership, suggesting that he captained more effectively than England’s Ben Stokes during the match. Gill’s batting performance was also noteworthy, as he scored a brilliant 147 in the first innings, making him the fifth Indian captain to score a century on his debut.

Gill’s personal performance was notable, but his lack of captaincy experience showed as England chased down 371 on Day 5 to win by five wickets. Despite criticism of his tactics, Kaif praised Gill for managing Bumrah’s rotations well.

“As a young captain, Gill performed exceptionally well by giving Bumrah 4-over spells and managing his rotations effectively. He captained better than Ben Stokes. Well done, thumbs up. He was a helpless captain, having to rely on just one and a half bowlers Bumrah and Jadeja. There was no support from Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, or Shardul. You can’t win a Test match with just 1.5 bowlers. Gill, however, captained excellently and looked impressive to me. He made great use of his resources,” Kaif said.

Kaif also hailed Gill for his batting performance, noting that it was essential for him to make runs in England and applauded him for successfully meeting that challenge.

“I will praise him highly because this series is a major test for him. It is crucial for him to perform well in England. People said that he struggles to play in England. He passed this test with flying colors, scoring a century and showing excellent batting. Beyond his captaincy, he proved that he can deliver with the bat,” he added.

After the defeat in the first Test, Gill must now motivate his team ahead of the second Test at Edgbaston on July 2, where India are yet to win, having lost seven out of eight matches there.