India's transition into a new era of Test cricket did not have the best of starts. The five-wicket loss to England at Headingley marked a tough start to their first red-ball series without stalwarts like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Shubman Gill is leading the side for the first time in a long-format series. He finds himself under the scanner despite a century in his debut game as leader of the pack.
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But while the Test form has been dismal in the last 12 months, under Rohit Sharma's captaincy, the Indian white-ball team won the T20 World Cup last year and followed it up with the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year.
Even after Sharma quit the T20 format, following the World Cup triumph in North America, new captain Suryakumar Yadav has made sure theat the young T20I team continues to shine and dominate world cricket.
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Former England cricketer hands ultimatum to Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav
Former England cricketer Allan Lamb has praised India's white-ball setup but also threw a challenge to the team to convert that dominance into consistent silverware. In particular, he sent a pointed message to Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav.
He followed it up with a reminder of how India’s Test strength is likely to suffer in the absence of Kohli and the limited availability of Jasprit Bumrah.
"In one-day cricket, India should win every competition. In Test matches, you’re going to rely a lot on Bumrah, and you’re going to miss Virat Kohli big time," Lamb told PTI.
What did Allan Lamb say about Shubman Gill?
Lamb's comments were not limited to the seniors. The former England batter also warned that India's next generation will need to grow fast, with the Test series already exposing the challenges of inexperience at the top level.
While Gill has shown promise (his century at Headingley being a case in point), questions remain about his ability to lead the team through adversity. India’s biggest concern right now may be over-reliance on Jasprit Bumrah.
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Though the pacer was brilliant in the first Test, the management plans to rest him for some matches in the series to manage his workload. That only increases the pressure on the rest of the bowling attack.
Kohli's absence has clearly left a leadership void in the dressing room - especially when the going gets tough. It's a gap India will have to fill soon if they are to stay competitive in red-ball cricket.