“Definitely”: That’s how India captain Shubman Gill responded when asked during the post-match presentation whether Jasprit Bumrah will be back for the next Test at Lord’s.
With the series level and his most potent bowling threat expected to play two of the three remaining Tests, things are suddenly looking rosy for India.
Gill’s decision to leave his pace spearhead out of the second Test, with his team 0-1 down, wasn’t a popular one, but the way things transpired over the last five days at Edgbaston would have given the new captain immense confidence. If there are any question marks at any of his future selectorial calls, Gill can always remind his detractors what happened at Birmingham.
He also came across as a calm and composed captain as he didn’t read too much into the reversal at Headingley, a match they controlled for large portions, saying that they won’t be dropping as many catches as they did there in every game.
Gill’s reading of the game and pitch conditions also came to the fore, when he put a premium on a big score rather than a fast scoring rate, the latter being the main characteristic of Bazball.
“All the things we spoke about after the last game, we were spot on with all of those things. I think the way we came back with our bowling and fielding was tremendous to see. On this kind of wicket we knew that if we got 400-500 runs, it would be enough,” Gill told former England skipper Nasser Hussain after the game.
And the captain went on to score the bulk of the runs he thought the team needed – 430, to be exact, across the two innings. But that his huge individual scores contributed to the side’s victory pleased him more.
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“I am definitely feeling comfortable with my game and if we are able to win the series with my contributions, it’ll be great. I want to play as a batsman, and go out as a batsman and make decisions as a batsman. Sometimes you won’t take some risks when you’re thinking as a captain which you have to do as a batsman,” Gill said, showing how fast he is maturing as a leader.
His opposite number, Ben Stokes was left to rue two phases of the match which he thought turned out to be decisive.
“Having them at 200 (211) for 5 – we were really happy there – and not being able to burst them open there, and being 80 (84) for 5, it’s tough to be able to scrape it back from there,” he said.
Gill and Ravindra Jadeja turned the game on its head with a 203-run stand for the sixth wicket, and India were well on their way.
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On the third day, Harry Brook and Jamie Smith launched a stunning counter-attack after the hosts had lost half their side for next to nothing, but England were so far behind the game that their 303-run partnership went in vain.
