In the first Test match at Leeds, former England captain Nasser Hussain and former India coach Ravi Shastri shared strong opinions after India lost to England by 5 wickets, falling 0-1 behind in the five-match series.
This match was special because Shubman Gill was leading the Indian team for the first time after Rohit Sharma’s retirement. However, Nasser felt that Gill didn’t show the same strong presence or “aura” as former captains Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma.
Nasser said on Sky Cricket, “Gill seemed unsure. He looked like someone still figuring things out. There were too many people involved in making decisions, and it looked like a team being led by committee.” He also noted that Gill’s captaincy seemed reactive instead of proactive.
Jadeja’s Missed Opportunity
Nasser and Shastri were also shocked that Ravindra Jadeja, an experienced spinner, didn’t use the rough patches on the Day 5 pitch, which could have helped India take wickets.
Shastri kept pointing this out during commentary, saying Jadeja should have bowled into the rough areas. But no one – not Gill or any senior players – told Jadeja to adjust his line. As a result, Jadeja gave away 104 runs and took just one wicket, missing a big chance to turn the match around.
Nasser said, “Someone should’ve told Jadeja to use the rough. Ravi and others were watching and wondering why no one advised him.”
India Still Needs a ‘Hardik Pandya’
Nasser also reignited the old discussion that India still lacks a proper seam-bowling all-rounder, like Hardik Pandya or the legendary Kapil Dev.
The team tried out Nitish Reddy and Shardul Thakur, but neither performed well in Leeds. India’s lower-order batting collapsed in both innings, despite the team scoring five centuries in the match.
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Nasser warned, “India’s tail-end batting is weak in English conditions. If they keep collapsing like this, the series could end quickly. They need someone in the lower order who can both bowl and bat – someone like Hardik.”
