India captain Shubman Gill acknowledged that defending WTC champions South Africa would pose a major challenge in the upcoming two-match Test series. "We know that it won't be easy against reigning WTC champions. There will be tough moments. But we have handled them well. These two Tests are important in the race to the WTC final," Shubman Gill noted.
01:08What do you think about the World Test match?
01:38What do you think about the World Test match?
02:07Firstly, I think in 3-4-5 days in a turnaround in a different country or different format, it's not easy to play in a different format, I think it's much more challenging.
02:21In Australia, there are a lot of time differences in the body.
02:26And then there are different challenges in India as compared to White Ball in Australia.
02:41So it's definitely a bit of a mentally and physically challenging.
02:44But I think as a professional character, you know that all these challenges are going to take you.
02:51And how do you tackle your greatness, I think it's defined.
02:57Are you still silent in the recording?
03:00Yes, I think as many teams are playing, definitely a minimum benchmark for us.
03:08I think that you have to play in the final game.
03:13So whatever you have to play in the team combinations, whatever you have to play in the game,
03:18whatever you have to think, that you have to play in that condition and situation.
03:23That you have to play in the final game.
03:25And definitely go in the final game.
03:27Sure.
03:28Sure.
03:29Yes.
03:30Sure.
03:31Yeah.
03:32Sure.
03:33Sure.
03:34Yes, definitely, I have at, I cherish a lot of memories there.
03:50Yes, definitely. I cherish a lot of memories here. My IPL career started here and this is one ground whenever I come here. I definitely feel like how I feel in the PCS training when we are playing in Punjab. It's a similar feeling whenever I'm coming here.
04:10And yes, we are playing a match here after six years. I think the last test match that we played was the ping ball test match. And I wasn't part of the test match but I was watching it from outside. I was part of the sport. So my first test match here in Huyden Gardens and a very big honor for me to be able to lead my country here.
04:40Yes, absolutely. I think we actually have a lot of quality in this team. We are very fortunate that the all-rounders are the best batsmen that you can remove any record.
04:56Like Akshar Patel, Washington or Jaddubhai. He has a bowling record or batting record. Especially in India.
05:06So, as a captain, it's very difficult to find out who wants to play, who wants to play, who wants to play, who wants to play, who wants to play, who wants to play.
05:12Because the all-rounders are the best batsmen, the all-rounders are the best batsmen. But I think it's a very exciting test match for me.
05:23And this problem is always better that you have to have more options rather than come options.
05:29I think you have to have more options rather than come options.
05:33Yes, absolutely. I think Jaisi Saab has played the last series in the last series.
05:38So we have to draw and come here. The series is very difficult when a foreign team comes out of Asia and they are playing good.
05:48So, I think that's why the training champions are also in the WTC. So, it's a good series.
05:55So, you have to have a challenge in the Delhi Test when Hope and Campbell were having that partnership in the second games.
06:07You had a couple of them in England as well. In India, what did you learn from that phase as a captain in terms of how to be patient?
06:15What are the lessons that you took from that partnership?
06:17So, I think looking back in hindsight, I think after bowling 80-90 overs and then giving them follow-on, I think it was quite challenging on our bowlers.
06:29Given on a wicket where there wasn't much happening for the spinners, I think it was kind of a slow wicket.
06:37And as the game went on the wicket, it got even more slower. And I think after, I think in the entirety, I think we fielded about 200 overs at one stretch.
06:49So, obviously the bowlers get tired after a point and you don't get the same zip from the spinners.
06:56And on a wicket like that, my learning was maybe after fielding for 90 overs, maybe we could have batted and then given them the betting after that.
07:07Shuman, there is Dotham here. Last six to seven months have been a completely game-changing one for you.
07:14How were you coping with the thing of compartmentalizing the captaincy part and the betting part?
07:20Because we have seen what you have done in England. How were you managing to do it?
07:23So, I think in my preparations, I mainly focus on how can I succeed as a batsman.
07:31And then when we are there on the field, I like my instincts to take over whenever I'm out there captaining my side.
07:41And that's when I feel I make the best decisions for the team tactically.
07:45And it's a conscious effort that whenever I'm going out there as a batsman, I just want to play and make decisions as a batsman.
07:55And I don't want to think, oh, how would I make a decision if I was the captain?
07:59And I think sometimes when you think that, you put too much pressure on yourself and you don't take those small risks even in test grade which are required which gives me the X Factor as a batsman.
08:11So, that's how I try to rationalize my captaincy and my batting.
08:16Shuman, Sandeep here.
08:18If both teams talk about spin bowling attack, it's a huge attack.
08:23So, do you think spin bowling can determine the fate of the match at Eden Gardens?
08:28And have you finalized the spin bowling combination you are going to play with?
08:33Yes, I think more or less finalized, but I think once, actually, when we came yesterday, the look of the wicket was a bit different.
08:42So, once we come yesterday and see how the wicket is finally feeling.
08:47And I think in this part of India, there's a bit of light coming quickly.
08:51So, all of those factors have to keep in mind that in the morning,
08:55generally, the fast bowlers get some help from the fast bowlers here in the morning and the afternoon.
08:59So, finally, when we come to see how the wicket is feeling, we will decide.
09:04And, I think, when we play in India, more or less, the winners decide the game.
09:11The better you have, the better you have, the better you have.
09:17For me, I think the winner of his quality is not that many bowlers there, but you also have to take in consideration the bowlers that are playing right now.
09:29They have done such a terrific job.
09:30I think bowler of his qualities, not that many bowlers there but you also have to take
09:39into consideration the bowlers that are playing right now, they have done such a terrific job
09:43and you can't ignore the performances of someone like Akash Teep or someone like Prasad
09:50and we all know what Siraj and Bumaraj have been doing in Test cricket and sometimes it's
09:57very difficult players, players like Shamibai, they have to miss but I think it's important
10:05for us to be able to know what the next series that we are playing and where we are playing
10:10and trying to plan ahead, you know, what are the kind of fast bowlers that can give us
10:15the best chance when, especially when you're going to New Zealand or some of the foreign
10:20countries.
10:21What do you mean, what do you plan for?
10:24I mean, the selectors would be able to give you a better answer to that.
10:31Like you said, I think playing here, I think reverse swing depending on, you know, if it's
10:38a rough wicket, if it's a dry wicket, reverse swing plays a big part.
10:39And, you know, even the England series that we play, you know, if it's a rough wicket,
10:40if it's a dry wicket, reverse swing plays a big part.
10:45And, you know, even the England series that we played in 2024, in that series, if you remember
10:52the crucial wickets in between was taken by the fast bowlers even though the wickets were
10:59spin friendly.
11:00So definitely fast bowlers, especially in wickets like these, in these conditions, you know,
11:07coming towards the end of the year, you know, you always know in the starting there would
11:14be a little moisture.
11:15So if you can get the ball reversing, the fast bowlers are always in the game.
11:20I do not start with the 10th half wicket.
11:21I am Dheeman, I work for the Himalistan fans.
11:22There's been a lot of talk about spin.
11:23So, the fact that South Africa has done well in the subcontinent on spinning wickets against
11:27quality spinners.
11:28But the Indian spin bowlers have been very difficult.
11:29So, definitely fast bowlers, especially in wickets like these, in these conditions,
11:32you know, coming towards the end of the year, you know, you always know in the starting
11:34there would be a little moisture.
11:35So if you can get the ball reversing, the fast bowlers are always in the game.
11:38Hi, I'm Dheeman, I work for the Himalistan fans.
11:40There's been a lot of talk about spin.
11:41So, the fact that South Africa has done well in the subcontinent on spinning wickets against quality
11:47spinners, but the Indian spin bowlers tend to bowl a little faster than the ones that
11:52South Africa face. Does that put you at a slight advantage when you compare the two
11:58quality spin attacks, the fact that they bowl a slightly faster?
12:03Yes, definitely on a wicket where it's spinning, the ball needs a little bit time to spin.
12:10So off the wicket, generally, unless you're playing on a red-soil wicket, the pace is
12:15a little bit slower off the wicket. So if your bowlers are bowling at a quicker pace, it
12:19gives the batsmen a little bit less time to adjust. And the balls, actually, which are
12:24not turning, become more dangerous because they come at a much faster speed, rather than
12:28the ones that are turning. So yes, definitely that does put the team whose bowlers are bowling
12:35faster in an advantage for sure. But I mean, if you look at the team, their batsmen have
12:39been posting 300 runs as well regularly on the cards and on a wicket which is,
12:45assisting the bowlers, if you regularly keep posting 300, 350, you know, your team would
12:50always be in the game. So, you know, as a team, that's also what we try to look at. If you
12:54can post 350, 400 on the board, you would always be in the driving position.
13:00So, when we are playing in countries like England, Australia, South Africa, the workload on fast
13:01bowlers is relatively higher as compared to when we are playing in India. So, when we
13:07are playing in India, but having said that, the fast bowlers also recognize, you know, the
13:14spells that are, people are talking about, people are talking about load back, workload
13:18over the world, you know, if you are playing in England, you know, if you are playing in
13:22countries like England, Australia, South Africa, the workload on fast bowlers is relatively
13:25higher as compared to when we are playing in India. But having said that, the fast bowlers
13:30also recognize, you know, the spells that they bowl here, if the ball is reversing would be 4 overs, 4 to 5 overs, but they
13:41bowl at full throttle, whereas, if you are playing in a country like England, where, you know, the fast
13:48bowlers are going to bowl, the majority of the overs, the workload kind of increases more. So, I think these
13:55are the things which I think he also recognizes and we as a team also recognize that when we are
14:01playing in India, the load on the fast bowlers wouldn't be as much as compared to spinners or as
14:06compared to some of the other countries when we are playing outside.
14:10Shuman, given the nature of the pitch, I mean, the way it looks, will it be a little tough to decide
14:17whether to go with three fast bowlers or three spinners?
14:22Yeah, I mean, it's always, this time of the year, there's always, there's always a conflict whether you
14:28would want to go for that extra all-rounder or you would want to go for an extra spinner, but that's why I said, I
14:37think once we come tomorrow, see how the wicket looks in the morning, we are going to take a decision, you
14:41know, what kind of combination would give us the best chance to be able to win this test match.
14:46Shuman, you mentioned between, it's a decision between the extra all-rounder and the extra
15:04spinner, would that mean that it's between Akshar Patel and Kuldeep?
15:08I think let's leave that one for tomorrow, sir, you can, you can say that's at all.
15:15You have got a few creditors, who are playing in all the formats, how are maintaining the
15:28workflow?
15:29What are you?
15:30Sir, we will do the asphalty practice.
15:33And the captain, how are you managing that?
15:36Sir, I would say I'm still trying to figure it out, you know, how to manage it.
15:40I think the workload, starting from the Asia Cup, you have been playing kind of back-to-back,
15:49traveling to different countries, switching between formats within four to five days.
15:54So I'm also trying to figure out, you know, how, what gives me the best chance to be able
15:59to perform and succeed in all those formats that I'm going to play.
16:05But the challenge is, I think definitely more mental than it is physical, like bodily I
16:10feel fine, there is, yeah, there is a little bit, obviously there would be a little bit
16:15of jet lag when you're coming from Australia, there's a huge time difference.
16:18But apart from that, I don't think physically I feel completely fine.
16:23Yes, mentally it can be challenging at times because the requirements for, the requirements
16:28for different formats in different places of the world is different.
16:33So I think it's a good challenge and a good learning of them.
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