Former India selector Saba Karim feels India’s young captain Shubman is prepared to lead from the front and will thrive with bat in five-match series against England
India’s Shubman Gill during his 110-run knock against England in the Dharamsala Test last year. Pic/Getty Images
The upcoming England tour will be an exam for new Test leader Shubman Gill and his success as captain may depend on his own batting performance, reckons former India selector Saba Karim.
India kick-started a new era in Test cricket with the appointment of Gill as captain following retirements of stalwarts such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin in quick succession.
Gill is a gifted player but he is yet to flourish as a Test batter, managing just 1,893 runs in 32 Tests at an average just under 32, with four centuries.
While his technique is compact and batting has flair, he’s yet to deliver the kind of consistent, match-winning performances that mark elite Test batters. Yet, Saba Karim remains confident.
Saba Karim
“This is an examination for him. I am sure he’s ready and up for it,” Karim said on the sidelines of FIT India: Sunday on Cycle event on Sunday.
“This is a big opportunity for him as a player. He needs to perform with the bat there, if he is able to do so then automatically his captaincy will also flourish,” said Karim, suggesting that success in one area will boost confidence in the other.
The former wicketkeeper-batter however, sees the bigger picture. He acknowledged the balance in the current Indian squad, especially the mix of young blood and experienced names.
“I do expect some good results from this young Indian side. The matches will really competitive and I think they are ready for it,” he added.
Karim also praised Karun Nair for his double hundred against England Lions and named Sai Sudharsan as the batter to watch out for alongside Nair in the
series.
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
