"Let him be there for 3 years" - Former India head coach backs Shubman Gill to deliver amid END vs IND 2025 Tests

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has backed Shubman Gill to deliver amid the Test series between England and India. India are in England for a five-match series. The visitors lost the opening Test by five wickets, with the second Test scheduled to begin on Wednesday, July 2, at Edgbaston.

Shubman Gill was named the new captain of the Indian Test team ahead of the England series. On the Wisden Cricket Weekly Podcast, Ravi Shastri took Gill's name when asked about that one player who could become an Indian cricket legend 10 years from now.

"I'll be disappointed if Gill doesn't go places. Languid, lazy elegance, and he's got a regal element of being regal out there when he's batting. If he can learn with exposure and adapt to conditions I think that's the one name I can see," he said.

While Shubman Gill lost his very first Test as India captain, Shastri backed him, saying he should be given three years irrespective of the result of the series against England.

"He's matured a lot. The way he handles the media, the way he talks at press conferences, at tosses, he's matured a lot. Let him be there for three years. Don't chop and change irrespective of what happens in the series. Stick with him for three years and I think he will deliver for you," the former India head coach reckoned.

Gill began his journey as Test captain on a positive note as a batter. He slammed a brilliant century in the first innings, making 147 runs off 227 balls, hitting 19 fours and a six.

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Shubman Gill admits India missed their chances after defeat in the opening Test

England chased down a target of 371 runs in the fourth innings on the fifth day to go 1-0 up in the five-match series. During the post-match ceremony after the game, India captain Shubman Gill expressed his disappointment and admitted that they missed their chances.

"A brilliant Test, we had our chances. Dropped catches, lower order not contributing cost us. We were thinking of giving them 430, but our last wickets fell for 25. I thought we had our chances after the brilliant first wicket (fourth innings). Didn't go to hand. We spoke about the first-innings collapse. Happens, but we have to rectify that going forward," he said. (via The Times of India)

India dropped several catches across the two innings. They also faced major batting collapses from the lower order in both their innings, due to which they could not score as many runs as they should have.

The visitors will be keen to bounce back and draw level in the second Test at Edgbaston.

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Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee