MS Dhoni vs. Shubman Gill: How can Gill lead India’s Test comeback the way Dhoni did?

Shubman Gill has been appointed the new captain of the Indian team in the longest format of cricket after stalwarts like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from Test play. The current Indian team will go through a transitional phase as a result of Ravichandran Ashwin and the pair’s retirement, with a lot of pressure on the present captain.

Similar circumstances arose when stalwarts like Anil Kumble and Sourav Ganguly retired from India, allowing new players to join the team under MS Dhoni’s leadership. During the first three years of Dhoni’s captaincy, India achieved unprecedented success in Test cricket. Gill faces a comparable task, which will begin with India’s series against England.

Shubman Gill can guide India’s Test comeback in the following ways, much like Dhoni did.

1. Adding new skills to replace those that have retired

With Harbhajan Singh gradually reaching the end of his playing days and India losing key players like Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble, Dhoni brought in fresh talent like Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara. Additionally, he selected Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, who would go on to become India’s best spin combination and rule the red-ball format for nearly ten years.

In the absence of Ashwin, Virat, and Rohit, Shubman Gill must follow suit. KL Rahul will take Rohit’s spot in the near term, but Sai Sudharsan or Abhimanyu Easwaran might be added to the starting lineup in the long run. As the team’s strike-maker, Shubman Gill automatically replaces Virat at number four, but Karun Nair may also be a good choice in the future.

In the India A series against the England Lions, Tanush Kotian has shown a lot of promise and might replace Ashwin in a similar manner. He and Kuldeep Yadav may be a potent spin bowling combination at home and on the team’s travels.

2. Restore the home fortress’s splendour

Prior to their series loss against New Zealand, which was more of a humiliation than a one-time series loss, India had won every series from 2012 to 2024. Until 2024, when New Zealand defeated India 0–3 at home, India had never lost a series. During the 2012–13 series, India lost to England at home, even under Dhoni.

But under Dhoni, India recovered. India trounced Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home after losing to England. They also defeated visiting teams, including New Zealand and the West Indies. Gill must restore the splendour of the powerful castle to Indian territory.

Indian hitters did not play well against New Zealand, or even up to their standards. It’s time to start using hitters that execute effectively and have good technique against spin. The team’s spin assault may centre on Kotian, Kuldeep, Washington Sundar, and Axar Patel now that Ashwin is out and Jadeja is playing in the background in Test matches.

Win series away from home.

In 2009, when Dhoni succeeded Anil Kumble as captain, India defeated the BlackCaps in a series played in New Zealand. After defeating them for the first time in 1967, it was India’s first victory in New Zealand. The 2010 series draw against South Africa was Dhoni’s biggest accomplishment away from home.

It was better to draw with the top South African team than to defeat a rather weakened Kiwi team. In their own backyard, India defeated the West Indies as well. In Test matches, India did come under Dhoni’s leadership, particularly starting in 2012. Shubman Gill can, however, draw encouragement from the accomplishments made by Dhoni and his team during the first two to three years of his captaincy.

Having a strong bowling lineup is essential for winning when playing away from home. Jasprit Bumrah is a key component of India’s bowling attack. Supporting players like Prasidh Krishna and others is necessary since they can help India in the speed attack. India might become a formidable force away from home if they support their batters to perform well and finally see victory.

3. Return India to the top of the Test rankings

India was the second-ranked Test squad when Dhoni assumed the captaincy. But he was the first captain to lead India to the top of the Test rankings. For the entirety of 2009, India maintained its position at the top of the rankings, which enabled them to win the Test trophy for the first time ever.

Given India’s current Test rankings, Shubman Gill should strive to achieve the same. Given that India is currently ranked fourth in the Test rankings, Shubman Gill circumstances are significantly worse than Dhoni’s. India can quickly move up to the second slot, but it will take some thumping to unseat Australia, who are currently leading the Test rankings by a wide margin.

4. Win the World Test Championship to reclaim the Test mace.

In the past, the teams were promised the Test mace if they finished the cricket calendar year as the top-ranked Test team. Consequently, from November 2009 to August 2011, India was the owner of the Test mace. Under Dhoni, they had the best rating of 126 and were the top-ranked team for 21 months in a row.

Since then, a lot has changed. The World Test Championship, in which the top two teams advance to the final after a roughly two-year cycle, was first presented in 2019. In both the 2019–21 and 2021–23 seasons, India advanced to the final but lost to Australia and New Zealand, respectively, in the final.

Winning the World Test Championship will be Shubman Gill task. India would win the Test match for the first time since May 2020 if they did this. India has a decent chance of winning the mace if they can make it to the final in the next cycle, which is scheduled for 2025–2027. It would support both India’s comeback in the game’s longest format and Shubman Gill legacy.