Insinuating that Indian captain Shubman Gill could not feel as at ease with strong opposition tactics, Australia Women’s captain Alyssa Healy suggested that England could gain from applying pressure to him.
Her remarks follow Gill’s on-field interactions with England opener Zak Crawley during the third Test at Lord’s, which attracted a lot of attention. Gill struggled at Lord’s, managing just 22 runs in both innings despite reaching three hundreds in the prior two games. Whenever he came out to bat, the English bowlers would aggressively sledgingly target him, as if to break his concentration.
I’ve read that when teams put a lot of pressure on Shubman Gill, it can make him a little uneasy.
Healy stated on the Willow Talk Podcast, “There is a way to get under his skin a little bit, knowing how successful he was in those first two Test matches, so if England have even the slightest chance at that, that’s exactly what’s going to happen.”
Since the 25-year-old batter is now the club’s captain, Healy noted that opposing teams frequently take an aggressive stance against him, which can put pressure on the entire Indian team. In an attempt to undermine the Indian captain’s confidence, the Australian international recommended that England keep putting as much pressure on him as they can.
In general, teams attack the captain. You feel like you’re on your way if you can get the captain for a low price or if you can get under their skin and make them feel uncomfortable. Therefore, England will ram that home if they detect even the slightest hint of weakness there. Healy said, “They’ll go hard.”
In order to keep opponent players under strain, Healy urged England to take a distinctly Australian tack by employing sledging and harsh, competitive cricket. She made a suggestion that, given the series at stake, this tactic might put Gill’s temperament to the test.
On July 23, England and India will play their fourth Test match at Old Trafford in Manchester. India will be trying to even the five-match series at 2-2 and force a final match after England leads it 2-1.
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