Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir are set to embark on their first tour of England in new leadership roles — Gill as India's Test captain and Gambhir as the head coach. This five-Test assignment comes with added significance, as India enters a new era without seasoned stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, both of whom announced their retirement from Test cricket ahead of the tour.
At the pre-departure press conference in Mumbai on Thursday, the first question posed to Gill was about the added pressure of leading the team for the first time in Tests, especially in the absence of Rohit and Virat.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!But Gill handled it calmly, brushing aside any suggestion of added burden.
"I think there is pressure every time you play and match or start a tour. As such, there is pressure ahead of every series, but there would not be any extra pressure. Rohit and Virat are very experienced players, and it is very difficult to fill the space, but as a team, we have a lot of experience, and we have played a lot of matches," said Gill.
"The players and the team are all used to the pressure. We are not that inexperienced players. The batting and bowling combination in our team is very good," he added.
Gambhir, known for his straightforwardness, weighed in on the subject of pressure as well, saying it is always there—win or lose.
"First of all, I am always under pressure. I was under pressure after the Australia tour, I was under pressure after we won the Champions Trophy. Because being the coach, you want the results. It does not change with winning or losing," Gambhir said.
The head coach added that despite the challenge, the players are eager and ready for the opportunity that lies ahead.
"We are on such a big tour and such an exciting tour as well. It is not easy in England. Everyone is excited. Everyone wants to do well. It is an opportunity to do something special for the country.
"It is a team thing. For me, the most exciting thing is that we have got really good players in this squad who are really willing to go out there and express themselves," he said.
Gill also shared his reaction upon learning he would captain the Test side. He acknowledged the weight of the responsibility and indicated that the team is yet to finalise the batting order.
"Firstly, when I came to know that I would get an opportunity like this, at the beginning, it was very overwhelming. It was quite overwhelming with the whole experience. But having said that, I think it is a big responsibility. And looking forward, there is a great chance that we will be presented first. And we haven't really decided on the (batting) position yet. We still have some time. We have a spot match in London. So, we still have time to decide on the batting order," he said.
India's rebuilding phase continues as they prepare for the five Tests without Rohit, Kohli, Mohammad Shami, and R Ashwin.
India's fixtures on the England tour:1st Test: June 20–24 – Headingley, Leeds
2nd Test: July 2–6 – Edgbaston, Birmingham
3rd Test: July 10–14 – Lord's, London
4th Test: July 23–27 – Old Trafford, Manchester
5th Test: July 31 – August 4 – The Oval, London
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