‘That’s the one bias he has’: Former India cricketer on Gill’s captaincy in Sri Lanka

India faced a challenging finish to their Test series against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Thursday, as the hosts mounted a resilient lower-order stand, securing a crucial draw. This outcome denied India a coveted series clean sweep. Former India all-rounder Ajay Jadeja noted a notable aspect of Shubman Gill's captaincy style that may have influenced India's final-day strategies.

Jadeja observed that Gill, at just 26 years old, has a distinct preference for placing fielders deep in the deep square leg area, particularly when facing his pace attacks. This preference for short-pitched bowling, Jadeja explained, sets Gill apart from many other captains who generally opt for a more balanced field placement. Gill's approach involves favoring seamers with short deliveries, aiming to put pressure on the batsmen and exploit their weaknesses.

In contrast, Gill tends to adopt more conservative field settings when deploying spinners, likely because he feels confident in his ability to handle spin effectively. This consistent preference for attacking short-ball tactics with his pacer, Jadeja suggests, is a defining trait of Gill's leadership style. Despite the series ending 1-0 in India's favor, the World Test Championship final aspirations suffered a setback, with India's points percentage dropping to 51.51 after 11 matches in the current cycle.