Chappell urges Gill to become a good communicator, define the sort of team he wants India to be: ‘Set the standard’

Batting legend Greg Chappell questioned Shubman Gill’s leadership during the third Test against England at Lord’s and has advised the newly-appointed Test skipper to become better at communicating with his teammates. The former Australia captain added that while Gill has shown potential as a leader so far in the ongoing series, his real test begins in Manchester, where India face a must-win situation with the five-match Test series currently 2-1 in favour of the Ben Stokes-led hosts.

India found themselves trailing the Englishmen once again in the ongoing tour following their 22-run defeat in the third Test at Lord’s on Monday. They had earlier lost the series opener by five wickets before leveling the series in style with a 336-run victory in the second Test at Edgbaston.

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“As India prepare for the final two Tests of their series in England, the spotlight now shines firmly on their 25-year-old captain Shubman Gill. A bright young talent, he has shown greatness with the bat and glimpses of leadership potential, but this moment will define his trajectory as a Test captain,” Chappell, who had a controversy-laden tenure as India head coach from 2005 to 2007, wrote in his column for ESPNCricinfo.

“It’s not an easy environment in which to grow, but it’s the one he’s in - and the stakes couldn’t be higher,” he added.

Chappell says Gill needs to learn to communicate better

Chappell added that Gill had to do more than just let his bat to the talking in the remaining Tests, adding that he also needed to set the tone when it came to the team’s approach in departments such as batting.

“His bat can’t always do the talking. He must learn to speak in a way that aligns the group, encourages belief, and creates trust.

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“He also needs to enunciate the right approach. Batters must be told to play positively and bat in partnerships. If a batter gets a start, it is critical to go on and get a big score. Collapses come when players who are set decide that they don’t want to keep working that hard,” the 76-year-old continued in his column.

India find themselves on the back-foot following their defeat at the ‘Home of Cricket’, but are still alive in the series. And for Chappell, the business end of the tour is the right moment for Gill to stamp his authority as the leader.

“If Gill wants to become a great Test captain, this is his moment to stamp his authority. Not just with the bat, but with his leadership. Set the standard. Demand it of others. Pick your team. Back them. And make sure every man knows what is expected and hold them to it,” he wrote.

“Because in the end, cricket isn’t about heroes. It’s about partnerships. It’s about teams. And it’s about captains who bring the best out of those around them.

“If Gill can lead with clarity of thought and strength of purpose, he won’t just shape this series, he’ll shape the future of Indian cricket,” Chappell added.

The fourth Test gets underway at Manchester’s Old Trafford on Sunday while The Oval in London hosts the final Test from 31 July to 4 August.

India have not won a Test series on English soil since the Rahul Dravid masterminded a 1-0 triumph in a three-match series in the summer of 2007 – shortly after Chappell’s departure as coach following a disastrous World Cup campaign in the West Indies.