Not having any baggage is a positive, says Gill

Shubman Gill's confident, witty, and focused approach as India's Test skipper sets the tone for a new era.

There is a staccato feel to Shubman Gill’s batting – half-cut, half-drive and the patented short-arm jab. The 25-year-old’s maiden pre-match media conference as India’s Test skipper was similar – sharp, brief and witty. He might not yet have the stately presence of his illustrious predecessors like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, but on Thursday afternoon, in a packed press-conference room, he looked the part.

The confidence on display will be much needed as Gill, along with coach Gautam Gambhir, looks to steer India in a new direction. The recent memories in Tests  –  though more than five months old  – aren’t pleasant, with India having lost back-to-back series, to New Zealand and Australia, for the first time in a decade.

“I don’t think we’d be looking at that to be honest,” he told when asked if the twin defeats will weigh the side down. “A lot of the talk is about our side not being experienced. But there are positives too in that we don’t really have any baggage. Not all of the players have been to England. So that could be a thing that really makes a difference. We won’t be carrying any baggage.”

Gill is set to bat at No. 4, a position that is the fulcrum. Balancing the twin responsibilities of being the No. 1 batter and the leader will be a challenge.

“After Virat bhai retired, me and GG [Gambhir] bhai had a discussion. He was clear that he wanted me at No. 4 and I was also clear that I wanted to bat at that number.

“[When I bat] I don’t really want to think that I’m the captain of the team because that sometimes puts too much pressure on me. Whenever I’m going out there, I want to play as a batsman and I want to dominate the opposition and be the best in the series. That’s what I’m looking at.”

In the age of T20 leagues and big-money franchise cricket, the red-ball game is said to be under increasing threat. But Gill’s heart and soul seemed attached to the whites, as understood from his reply to a cheeky question on whether an IPL trophy win or a Test series triumph in England ranked higher.