Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has shared his thoughts on Shubman Gill being appointed as the Team India Test captain ahead of the England tour. The former cricketer stated that Gill’s appointment as Test captain ahead of Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant was the right and practical decision.
Shubman Gill’s appointment surprised many, as he was dropped from two matches during India’s last Test series in Australia. He has struggled to maintain consistent form in Test cricket. The young batter averages just over 35 across 32 Tests, with his average falling below 30 in overseas matches.
Ricky Ponting backed Shubman Gill’s appointment as India’s new Test captain over senior players like Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant. Ponting said that Gill has the potential to succeed in the role. He added that Bumrah’s recent injury struggles make him a less reliable option for captaincy.
"I actually think it's the right move. I know there's a lot of other people out there, pundits out there saying they can't understand why it wasn't Bumrah and why they have gone to Shubman, but I think it's pretty simple," Ponting told The ICC Review.
"Bumrah's injuries are holding him back a bit in the last couple of years and you don't want that with a captain. You can't have a captain coming in and missing games here and there, so I think it's I think it's the right decision," he added.
Ricky Ponting Urges Team India to Give Shubman Gill a Good Crack
Ricky Ponting said that Shubman Gill should be given enough time to prove himself. Ponting also said that the captain should perform with the bat, adding that Gill is ready to succeed as a long-term Test captain.
"Now that they've made it, it's one they've got to stick with and give him a good crack at it for, for a long period of time," Ponting stated.
"Even just looking back at the way he's handled this current GT (Gujarat Titans) team through this IPL, I think leadership sits really well with him," he continued.
"And the important thing for me with leadership as well as if you're a batter and you're a captain, you have to be scoring runs. And Shubman is doing that in IPL and I think the timing is right and I think you'll have a good captain who’ll make a lot of Test runs going forward."
England-India Test Series Set to Begin on June 20
India are set to face England in the five-match series from June 20 to August 4. Notably, it will be India's first assignment in the 2025–27 World Test Championship cycle. The hosts secured a 4-1 victory earlier in 2024 when these teams last met in India.
India will be hoping to secure a Test series win in England. It’s worth mentioning that they last secured a Test series victory in England in 2007. They took a 2-1 lead before England won the rescheduled final Test in 2022 to draw the series 2-2.
The England leg of the series has been renamed the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy to honor Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar and England pace icon James Anderson. Tendulkar retired in 2013 with 15,921 Test runs, while Anderson ended his career in 2024 with 704 wickets.
Also read: Shreyas Iyer kicks aside Rohit Sharma to become India's Captain for 2027 ODI World Cup
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