“I thought Bumrah would have been the better choice” - Sanjay Manjrekar’s huge statement after Shubman Gill’s 127* in ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test

Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar admitted he was against Shubman Gill being appointed the Test captain after the latter's brilliant century on Day 1 of the first Test against England in Leeds. Following Rohit Sharma's Test retirement last month, Jasprit Bumrah seemed to be the obvious choice for India's captaincy in Tests, having been Rohit's deputy.

However, India appointed Gill as their Test captain with an eye on continuity, given Bumrah's workload management. The decision had fans and former players questioning the rationale, considering Gill's poor Test record with the bat.

Yet, the 25-year-old silenced critics by scoring a sublime century in his maiden innings as captain.

Talking about Gill's appointment as captain, Manjrekar told JioStar (via Hindustan Times):

"I was against it. Let's be very honest, because I thought Bumrah would have been the better choice and the logical choice, without really thinking too much about the future, looking into the crystal ball. So I don't think it was the right decision."

He added:

"But was Shubman Gill going to be a failure as captain? No. As captain, temperamentally, we knew that he wouldn't carry the anxiety of being the captain and affect his pattern. That is something we knew. The only question that we had was that he was still a kind of evolving material when it came to overseas cricket. There were some questions about whether the added pressure of captaincy could be too much for a guy who has not quite made a mark in overseas cricket."

Shubman Gill became only the fourth Indian to score a century in his debut innings as Test captain. It was his sixth Test ton and a first in SENA countries, erasing doubts about his ability to play away from home.

Shubman Gill's masterful knock helps India take control of 1st England Test

India's first day after the Test retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma could not have gone better, with the side taking control of the opening Test against England on Day 1. Put into bat, the visitors started impressively, with openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul adding 91 for the first wicket.

Despite the fall of two quick wickets, the former continued the excellent start to score a breathtaking 101 off 159 deliveries. Skipper Shubman Gill joined the party at 92/2 and finished the opening day unbeaten on 127 from 175 balls.

Rishabh Pant provided the finishing touches to a near-perfect day for Team India, scoring 65* off 102 deliveries. India finished the first day of the series opener 359/3 in 85 overs.

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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran