India Vs South Africa 1st Test: Shubman Gill's Dual Role In Focus

Playing three formats and leading India in two of them, Shubman Gill says he is still learning to balance the twin pressures of captaincy and batting.

Taking over from Rohit Sharma, the 26-year-old began his tenure leading by example as the young India eked out a hard-fought 2-2 draw against England in the five-Test series.

“In my preparation, I mainly focus on how I can succeed as a batsman. On the field, I like my instincts to take over while captaining. That’s when I make the best tactical decisions for the team,” Gill said ahead of the opening Test against South Africa.

“It’s a conscious effort that when I’m batting, I think only as a batsman -- not as a captain. Sometimes, if you overthink as a captain, you put too much pressure on yourself and avoid taking small risks that give you the x-factor. That’s how I balance my captaincy and batting.”

Gill piled 754 runs in 10 innings with three centuries and a double hundred -- the second-highest aggregate ever by an Indian in a Test series, behind only Sunil Gavaskar’s 774 in 1971. He also became just the third Indian after Gavaskar and Yashasvi Jaiswal (712 vs England, 2023-24) to cross 700 runs in a series.

After that high, it’s been relentless cricket for India's youngest all-format leader. From Tests against England to the Asia Cup T20Is, home Tests against the West Indies, and limited-overs assignments in Australia.

“Firstly, in a 3-4 day turnaround, it is not easy to switch formats. It is mentally more challenging. There is a time difference in Australia, so the body takes time to adjust. Playing Test cricket in India presents different challenges compared to Australia. It is definitely mentally and physically demanding.

“But as a professional cricketer, you know these challenges will come your way. The way you tackle them defines your greatness.”

While his Test form remains exceptional, Gill’s recent white-ball returns have dipped with no fifty in his last eight innings across three ODIs and five T20Is.

As captain, Gill also reflected on his early learnings including his decision to enforce the follow-on against the West Indies earlier this year, which he now admits was a poor call.

“Looking back, after bowling 80-90 overs and enforcing the follow-on, I think it was quite challenging for our bowlers. The wicket didn’t have much for the spinners and got slower as the game went on. Overall, we fielded about 200 overs at one stretch. Naturally, the bowlers got tired and the spinners lost a bit of zip.

“My learning was that maybe after fielding 90 overs, we could have batted and given them the follow-on later.”