Shubman Gill Scrutinized as West Indies Force India to Question Follow-On Decision: ‘Could Have Managed Better…’

Anil Kumble was highly critical of Shubman Gill’s captaincy in the second Test after India enforced the follow-on against the West Indies.

Anil Kumble Critiques Shubman Gill’s Captaincy in West Indies Test

Anil Kumble, India’s highest wicket-taker in Tests, expressed criticism of Shubman Gill’s captaincy during the second Test against the West Indies. Kumble suggested that India could have applied more pressure, especially as the visitors fought hard after being asked to follow on. When India enforced the follow-on on Day 3, many expected a swift conclusion, but John Campbell and Shai Hope defied expectations by scoring centuries.

Although both batters were dismissed soon after reaching their milestones, India had to wait for the win as Justin Greaves and Jayden Seales added 79 runs for the final wicket. Ultimately, the West Indies were bowled out for 390, setting India a modest target of 121 runs.

Shubman Gill : Speaking to JioHotstar, Kumble shared his conversation with West Indies coach Darren Sammy and reflected on India’s bowling tactics.

“The pitch was really docile. One thing India could have done better was to put a little more pressure on the batters. But credit to the West Indian batters as well. I know we’re looking at it from an Indian bowling perspective, but I thought the West Indies batters really applied themselves. I had a brief chat with Darren Sammy, their coach, yesterday morning, and the first thing he said was, ‘I wish our batters could apply themselves more,’” Kumble said.

“They’ve now shown the coach that they can do it. We saw that yesterday and again today. Even the tail-enders applied themselves really well. I thought the No. 10 and No. 11 batted brilliantly to frustrate the Indian bowlers. Maybe, India could have applied a bit more pressure through field placements to force mistakes,” he added.

Shubman Gill: The match goes on to the final day

KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan were slated to bat on Day 5 as India aimed to score the remaining 58 runs to secure a 2-0 Test series win. As the match neared its conclusion, former India spinner Anil Kumble singled out Shai Hope for special praise after the West Indies batter scored his third Test century.

“West Indies went past the follow-on mark and ensured that India had to bat again. I thought Shai Hope was exceptional. We all know his potential. He’s done it consistently in white-ball cricket. He had a great start to his Test career as well,” Kumble said.

“I remember when I was a coach and we toured the West Indies, he played a practice game before the series started, batted brilliantly, got a hundred, and looked the part. Since then, his performances have dipped a bit, but to reach his first fifty after 31 innings and now a hundred today, he has really looked solid. I’m sure he’s now taken that No. 4 role very seriously, and that’s something the West Indies will want to build on moving forward,” he added.

In the second innings, Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav took three wickets each as India bowled out the West Indies for 390 in the final session on Day 4.

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