Shubman Gill told not to be solely dependent on Jasprit Bumrah; ‘cricket isn’t about heroes, it’s about partnerships’

Shubman Gill has been told to not be over-reliant on Jasprit Bumrah in the remaining two Tests against England, as Australia Greg Chappell urged India captain to believe in collective performances not and individual brilliances. The Indian team have lost two of the first three games in the five-match series. India have just won the Birmingham Test to trail 1-2 in the series.

Interestingly, India lost both the Tests which Bumrah played, despite the premier pacer taking a five-wicket hauls in each of them. In Birmingham, Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj did the job with six-wicket hauls to fill the void created by Bumrah. The 31-year-old’s presence is certainly important if India want to level the series in Manchester, but it is still not clear whether he will play or not.

Before the start of the series, Bumrah himself had stated that he wont be playing all the five Tests, keeping the workload management in mind. Former Australian cricket Chappell, who used to be India’s head coach previously, asked Gill to stamp his authority and set a standard.

“And a word on Bumrah: the obsession with whether he plays or doesn’t is missing the point. India have won plenty of Tests without him recently. The key is not individual brilliance, it’s collective performance,” Chappell wrote for ESPNcricinfo.

“When the captain makes sure each player is clear, confident, and committed to the plan. That’s the formula. If Gill wants to become a great Test captain, this is his moment to stamp his authority. Not just with the bat, but with his leadership. Set the standard. Demand it of others. Pick your team. Back them. And make sure every man knows what is expected and hold them to it,” he said.

“Because in the end, cricket isn’t about heroes. It’s about partnerships. It’s about teams. And it’s about captains who bring the best out of those around them,” asserted Chappell.

‘He’ll shape the future of Indian cricket’

Chappell, who played 87 Tests and 74 ODIs for Australia, also opined what Gill can do for Indian cricket in future if he has a clarity of thought. “If Gill can lead with clarity of thought and strength of purpose, he won’t just shape this series, he’ll shape the future of Indian cricket,” added Chappell.

What’s next for India in England?

Having lost the third Test at Lord’s by 22 runs on July 14, the Indian team have a nine day gap before the fourth Test in Manchester starts. Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh, who was reported to make hi Test debut at Old Trafford, suffered a hand injury and is being examined.

There’s also a strong notion that comeback man Karun Nair might get drooped with Sai Sudharsan taking his place at no.3. Calls for Kuldeep Yadav’s inclusion were also strong but the chinaman is unlikely to make the playing XI after Washington Sundar’s heroics with ball at Lord’s.