With all due respect...

London: Former India cricketer Dinesh Karthik believes Shubman Gill is yet to grasp the full weight of responsibility that comes with leading the Indian Test side and has urged the young skipper to focus on his batting to gain respect within the dressing room.

India, entering a new era in Test cricket without stalwarts Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and R Ashwin, will begin a five-match series in England under the leadership of 25-year-old Gill, his first assignment as captain in the longest format.

“First bit of information I want to give Shubman Gill is to put your captaincy hat on only while fielding. Focus on your batting. It is imperative for Gill to score to have respect in that dressing room. In SENA countries, as an Indian batter, his average is not something he is going to be proud of,” Karthik said. Gill, who has played 32 Tests, has struggled to convert starts in overseas conditions, particularly in SENA countries.

India last won a Test series in England in 2007 and Gill faces a formidable challenge in attempting to repeat that feat as a first-time captain.

‘A mix of Kohli and Rohit’

Mumbai: India’s new Test captain Gill is a mix of his predecessors Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli but he will be “very much his own man” in the middle when he leads the national side, feels Jos Buttler.

Buttler, the former England limited-overs captain who played under Gill in this year’s IPL, said the 25-year-old will need to find a balance between his captaincy role and his own batting. “He’s a really impressive player and an impressive young man,” Buttler said on his podcast ‘For The Love of Cricket’ alongside former England pacer Stuart Broad.

“He’s pretty calm and measured when he speaks, but (it’s) interesting, I feel like on the field he’s got a bit of fight about him; a bit of intensity, quite passionate. I think he’ll be a mix of Kohli and Rohit.

“Kohli (was) that sort of real aggressive (character), really transformed the Indian team, in your face, up for the contest. Rohit was a bit on the other side, a bit more laid back, very cool, calm, collected customer, but with that sort of fight,” he added Buttler expects Gill to “be a bit in the middle”.“He’s obviously learned from those two guys… but he’ll be very much his own man,” said Buttler.