‘It gets very frustrating’: Shubman Gill takes up captaincy challenge | cricket news

TimesofIndia.com in Colombo: In his first press conference of the tour, Shubman Gill called qualification for the World Test Championship the “ultimate goal”, a sentiment he maintained as he prepared to leave the country. Between his two media interactions, the Indian captain saw his team claim a comprehensive victory in Galle and then settle for a draw in a match they were well positioned to win in Colombo. Although the series was won, the trophy was secured and his unbeaten run as captain ticked crucial boxes, India left behind crucial WTC points needed to increase their winning percentage.As captain, he had his most challenging days in the sun in Colombo when Sonal Dinusha and Sri Lanka’s tail-back frustrated the visitors and prevented them from getting the result they desperately wanted. There were times when he would stand helplessly and watch from the short cover position, have an intense chat with head coach Gautam Gambhir when nothing was working and then even goad his teammates when his shoulders started to slump.“It gets very frustrating,” he said of the challenges, explaining the questions that follow. “Moving forward was the best decision, right? But then you have to go back in the moment and see, what can I do? Did I make the best decision at that time? Yes, I did. Then you can’t do anything about it. You have to keep trying as best you can, and I think we did,” the Indian captain added.While they struggled to take the lead from Sri Lanka in both innings, Gill was unwilling to blame any of his teammates and praised their efforts.“We tried everything we could and at the end of the day, even the players, you can expect them to give their 100%, their best efforts, and I don’t think there was a lack of intensity or the efforts that we put in,” Gill said.Highlighting the volume of overs the spinners bowled on a surface that became easier to bat on as the game progressed, Gill gave them 10/10 for effort and intent, and continued to focus on the ultimate goal: the World Test Championship.“The spinners bowled 50-60 overs on the trot for three days. Fielding for three days is not an easy task in these hot conditions. In terms of effort, I would say 10 out of 10 for effort and intent. “There is a lot to learn, a lot of things will not always go as you plan, but as long as we still have a chance to qualify for the World Test Championship,” Gill added.India operated with inside and outside field positions for most of the match, offering significant protection against the sweep, especially when Sonal Dinusha was in the box. While he opened easy singles, Gill felt there couldn’t have been a better plan as the slow spin off the surface meant bowling and LBW were the dismissals of the equation.“The ball was spinning but wickets were not in play. As a batsman, if you know that your bowlers don’t have 2 modes of dismissal in play, then it will be easier to bat. Unless you are playing shot and not looking to run, then it is difficult to take a wicket,” Gill said.“They were sweeping, getting out and you also have to have your fielders close for catching. So there was a lot of fielding in and out and there was always left-handed and right-handed batting. So, especially on a wicket like this, it is difficult to have a field on one side,” Gill added about his fielding placements.With the series won and the positives accumulated, Gill stated that they still have a good chance of qualifying for the WTC finals. The Indian captain is hopeful of performing well in New Zealand and being in a better position when Australia comes to the Border Gavaskar Trophy early next year.“I still think we have a good chance of qualifying for the WTC. If we play well in the New Zealand series and hopefully when the Australia series comes around, we will just have to win the series. If we are in a situation where we just have to win the series, I think we will be in a good position to qualify for the WTC. A lot of solidity and a lot of confidence in our betting lineup, for sure. I always feel that if you make runs in Test matches, three and a half sessions, four sessions, you are always in the game.“We have bowlers who can take 20 wickets. As long as we keep putting 350-400 runs consistently on the board, we will always be in the game and looking at our batting performance, it is very satisfying to see that we are doing that,” Gill said.There is still time before India starts preparing for its next Test. For now, the immediate focus will be on recovering after hard work in Galle and Colombo, and then hoping that the best group of players will be available when the selectors meet to choose the teams for the tour of New Zealand.