Shubman gill’s away performance impresses Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly lauded Shubman Gill’s footwork and technique in England, saying the young skipper could score heavily abroad. He also praised Jaiswal and Pant while stressing smart use of Bumrah

Kolkata: Mighty impressed with Shubman Gill’s footwork in challenging English conditions, former India captain Sourav Ganguly expects the young skipper to score “truckloads of runs” in away conditions—if his foot movement remains as sharp as it was on day one of the Test series opener at Leeds.

Playing his first Test as captain, Gill produced a sublime unbeaten 127, featuring elegant drives as India ended the day on a commanding 359 for 3, making the English bowling appear ineffective.

---

The hosts mostly bowled full on the middle and off line, but Gill handled the attack with ease, transferring weight precisely to play fluent drives in the ‘V’.

“I am so happy to see his feet movement away from home—there’s a massive improvement. Shubman’s feet were fantastic, didn’t make a mistake,” Ganguly told media in an exclusive interview.

“I think England shouldn’t have bowled on that wicket, and they didn’t bowl well enough either. If Gill keeps batting like this in England and away conditions, he’s going to score a lot of runs,” he added.

“If he continues like this, his average could go up to 40–45. This innings will give him a lot of confidence, and confidence builds through performances. The way he handled swing yesterday—his technique was very good.”

This series marks a new era in Indian cricket, with Gill leading a squad without stalwarts like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and R Ashwin. Despite the anticipated challenges, India has started strong.

Ganguly expressed confidence in the transition phase, citing India’s rich domestic talent pool.

“I was never worried about Indian cricket. Someone or the other will take it forward. I’m not surprised by Yashasvi [Jaiswal], he’s a fantastic batter and should play all formats.”

Jaiswal continued his fine form with a 101, setting India up for a big total with a 91-run opening stand with KL Rahul (42).

“I’ve seen Yashasvi in Australia, the West Indies, and India. I hope he keeps performing, but Shubman’s improvement is commendable,” Ganguly said.

“Replacing someone like Virat is difficult. He’s a class player. But I’m not surprised by what I saw from Shubman. There’s too much quality in Indian cricket—thanks to strong domestic structures, leagues, and investment in player development.”

Ganguly also praised wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant for curbing his aggression and playing a more controlled innings.

“Rishabh plays fast bowling well. I didn’t like his batting in Australia—he played too many shots. But yesterday he was restrained. He’s a great player in Tests and will play all formats.”

With Jasprit Bumrah not fully fit to play all five Tests, Ganguly advised careful usage.

“Shubman had to make decisions. With four pacers, Bumrah gets some relief. Otherwise, he used to bowl 20 overs alone and wouldn’t last three Tests.”

“If Shardul can bowl longer spells, Bumrah can be used in short bursts as a wicket-taker.”