Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has admitted he was initially against the appointment of Shubman Gill as India’s Test captain, preferring Jasprit Bumrah instead. However, after Gill’s composed and commanding century on Day 1 of the first Test against England at Headingley, Manjrekar acknowledged the 25-year-old’s remarkable temperament and evolving technique.
Bumrah recently confirmed that he was in the running for the leadership but opted out with a special request to the BCCI, explaining that his body-still recovering from a serious back injury sustained during the Australia tour—would not allow him to play five consecutive Tests.
“Let me go right back to when he was made captain – I was against it, to be honest. I felt Jasprit Bumrah would have been the better and more logical choice, without thinking too far ahead into the future. I did not think it was the right decision at the time. But was Shubman Gill going to be a failure as captain? No,” Manjrekar said while speaking on Match Centre Live after stumps.
The former India opener was particularly impressed with Gill’s technical compactness, which he felt played a crucial role in the knock.
“Temperamentally, we knew he would not carry the anxiety of captaincy into his batting – that was always clear. The only concern was that he was still evolving, especially in overseas conditions. But today, he addressed key technical areas that had previously stopped him from getting a big overseas hundred. Yes, the pitch was good and the bowling wasn’t too challenging, but once those technical flaws were ironed out, everything else – especially his temperament – stood out as a strength.”
Gill’s unbeaten 127 off 175 balls marked a memorable start to his captaincy tenure. He became only the fifth Indian to score a century on his Test captaincy debut, joining an elite list that includes Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, and Virat Kohli.
The stylish right-hander walked out to bat in the second session after a solid platform was laid by Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul. Gill wasted no time settling in, dispatching loose deliveries from an England attack featuring Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, and Ben Stokes. He forged a vital 129-run stand with Jaiswal, who notched up his fifth Test ton before being bowled by Stokes early in the final session.
With India at a potential turning point following Jaiswal’s dismissal, Gill took charge. Blending caution with aggression, he brought up his maiden century in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries off 140 balls, reaching the milestone with a boundary off Tongue. The skipper celebrated in trademark fashion—bowing to the dressing room as the Headingley crowd applauded a truly commanding innings.
India finished the day in a dominant position at 359 for 3, with Rishabh Pant unbeaten on 65, providing solid support to his captain.
