Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Subramaniam Badrinath has asserted that the Indian skipper Shubman Gill has the final say in team selections over the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Notably, Gill was appointed as the full-time Test captain after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli bid adieu to the longest format of the game. Speaking about Gill’s captaincy record, India won six out of their 11 matches and lost only three.
“Shubman Gill’s captaincy has been a big positive. India did well in England and now Sri Lanka also. He is leading a young team and doing very well. Though Gambhir is a commanding figure, I still feel Shubman Gill is making the calls and picking the team, knowing the captain will be held responsible for the results,” Badrinath said on his YouTube channel.
Furthermore, the former Indian batter reckoned that India’s No.3 batter Devdutt Padikkal sealed his spot at No.3 in Sai Sudharsan’s absence. Notably, Padikkal was India’s leading run-scorer, finishing with 328 runs at an average of 109.33.
“Devdutt Padikkal is a big positive for India. He has sealed the No.3 position. There is no need to worry about No.3 from here on for India. He is someone who seems to play all formats well. Somehow, the current RCB players seem to do well wherever they go,” he added.
Later, Badrinath showered praise on the Indian keeper-batter Rishabh Pant, calling him India’s best-ever Test batter among wicketkeepers. During the Colombo Test, Pant also became the first Indian wicketkeeper to surpass 2500 runs in away Tests.
“In my opinion, he’s the best-ever Test batter India has produced among wicketkeepers. Though MS Dhoni is close, I don’t think India has ever had a batter as good as Pant among their wicketkeepers in Tests. No one else comes even close, though, among Indian keepers,” said Badrinath.
“He has an incredible 11 half-centuries and six centuries away from home. Delivering in away conditions is harder as it’s out of your comfort zone. Pant has consistently performed away from home,” he concluded.
