Head coach Gambhir says "we've just got to give time" to captain Shubman Gill
England take a 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series after winning at Headingley.
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The Indian team suffered a disappointing loss against England during the first Test at Headingley, Leeds. The hosts achieved a record-breaking chase, which gave them an early lead of 1-0 to go with in the series. This has led to the fans and experts questioning the tactical errors made by Shubman Gill as the new Test captain.
While the 25-year-old batter is receiving a lot of backlash after the performance, head coach Gautam Gambhir has still backed him as the leader of the pack, mentioning that this is only his first game as captain, and there are going to be nerves. Gambhir also talked about his performance in the first innings, where the talented top-order batter scored an incredible century, which played a huge role in the team got to 471 in the first innings. Gambhir eventually requested the pundits and fans to give him some time to find his feet as the new red-ball skipper.
"Look, first Test match, obviously, there are nerves. It's a great honour. As he's already mentioned, captaining the Test side, not many people get that opportunity, and he was phenomenal. More importantly, I think the way he batted in the first inning, obviously, I'm sure he would have had his own nerves, being the captain for the first time, and then getting a hundred," Gambhir told during the post-match press conference.
"So, everything that it takes for him to be a successful captain, we've got to just give him time. We're still very early days, and he's only the captain for the first time. I'm sure he's going to get better. And these are tough places to captain. It's like pushing someone into the deep sea, and I'm sure he's going to come out as a proper professional," the 43-year-old India coach added.
Gambhir confronts journo on 1st Test loss 'positives' query
Speaking of the upcoming matches of the series, the second encounter is scheduled to be played at Edgbaston in Birmingham from July 2 to July 6. While the hosts will be looking to extend their lead, the Indian team will want to make a big comeback after facing defeat in the opening game. The last game played at this venue saw England defeat India to draw the series 2-2 on the tour of 2021-22.