Joe Root on Shubman Gill’s captaincy: ‘Not only did he bat well - he led pretty well too’

Devansh Poddar

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Joe Root on Shubman Gill’s captaincy: ‘Not only did he bat well - he led pretty well too’ image

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Team India witnessed a magnificent start to their new era in Test cricket under the captaincy of young Shubman Gill.

India ended the five-match away Test series against England with a scoreline of 2-2 and put forward a strong statement to all those who questioned their abilities ahead of the big tour.

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England's great and former captain Joe Root has now hailed the young India skipper Shubman Gill for his exceptional display both as a skipper and a batter. 

Joe Root praises Shubman Gill’s captaincy in India vs England Test series

At 26, leading a young India side in a high-octane away tour to England wasn’t easy, especially when the side was transitioning, but Gill gracefully accepted the challenge and stood by it in his first series as skipper.

India entered the series in transition, with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and R Ashwin retiring from Tests earlier in the year, while Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteswar Pujara were dropped from the side.

Gill was made the new Test skipper, taking over from Rohit, while Rishabh Pant was named his deputy. 

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Going into the series, there were a lot of doubts over the Indian side and many believed that they would receive a good thrashing from the Englishmen. But Shubman and his boys had other plans. The Indian team proved everyone wrong as they emerged as the dominant side in the series.

Joe Root said, "For Shubman Gill, first series as Captain - not only did he bat well, he led pretty well as well". [The Overlap Cricket]

Gill finished the tour with more than 750 runs, most by an Indian skipper in an away series. He also registered the highest individual score by an Indian Captain, 269 at Edgbaston, during the second Test.

The youngster not only batted well, but he also led the side with a lot of heart and passion. Gill backed his team and ensured they never backed down during difficult moments in the series.

The series received a fitting end at the Oval, where India achieved a historic 7-run win on the final day, in what was a turnaround for the ages.

Gill's next challenge would be the home Test series against the West Indies. India is scheduled to play two Tests against the Caribbean nation at home, starting Oct. 2nd. 

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Devansh Poddar

Devansh Poddar is a content producer for The Sporting News' India edition.