Rahane Urges Shubman Gill to Back Shardul Thakur After Headingley Loss

Key Points

• Veteran India batter Ajinkya Rahane has publicly backed under-fire all-rounder Shardul Thakur after India’s five-wicket defeat to England in the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, where Shardul struggled with both bat and ball.​
• As reported by the HT Sports Desk of Hindustan Times, Rahane used his YouTube channel to urge new Test captain Shubman Gill to “use Shardul Thakur in a better way” and show greater trust in his bowling, especially with the new ball or as first change.​
• According to NDTV Sports Desk, Shardul managed just 5 runs across two innings and bowled only 16 overs in the match, taking two wickets but conceding at over six runs per over in his first spell, prompting questions over how Gill deployed him.​
• Former India coach Gautam Gambhir, quoted by Moneycontrol’s sports section, defended Shardul’s selection as a “bowling all-rounder” and explained that Gill partly underused him because Ravindra Jadeja bowled well and the captain followed his instincts.​
• The Headingley defeat, in which India posted 471 in the first innings but still lost after collapses and fielding lapses, has intensified criticism of Gill’s captaincy in his first Test in charge, including how he rotated his bowlers and managed pressure phases.​
• As reported by Hindustan Times’ HT Sports Desk in a separate analysis, the debate over India’s balance has led some experts and fans to call for Nitish Kumar Reddy or an additional spinner such as Kuldeep Yadav to replace Shardul for the second Test.​
• Former head coach Ravi Shastri, speaking on The ICC Review and cited by Hindustan Times, had earlier backed Shardul ahead of Nitish Reddy for the first Test on the strength of his bowling and recent all-round form in an intra-squad game.​
• Despite the criticism, Rahane insists Shardul “can swing the ball both ways” and is a genuine “wicket-taker”, arguing that more overs and clear tactical backing from Gill could unlock his impact in English conditions with the Dukes ball.​
• Rahane has specifically suggested that Shardul could even open the bowling alongside Jasprit Bumrah, with Mohammed Siraj coming in as first change, to exploit movement in the first 10–12 overs and reduce the workload on Bumrah.​
• The loss has also revived scrutiny of India’s away-Test strategies, with multiple outlets noting that five centuries, including one from Gill, were not enough to mask shortcomings in lower-order batting, catching and tactical flexibility.​

India’s five-wicket defeat to England in the opening Test at Headingley has sparked a fierce debate over captain Shubman Gill’s use of all-rounder Shardul Thakur, with veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane publicly urging the new skipper to trust and deploy Shardul more effectively, even suggesting he share the new ball with Jasprit Bumrah in upcoming matches.​

Why has Shardul Thakur come under such heavy criticism?

India’s first Test of the five-match series at Headingley ended in a five-wicket loss despite the visitors posting a substantial 471 in their first innings, setting up what looked like a commanding position. As detailed by NDTV Sports Desk, India’s advantage unravelled through batting collapses, wayward bowling spells and dropped catches, leaving individual performances like Shardul’s under intense scrutiny.​

According to reports from NDTV Sports and The Times of India, Shardul was selected as the side’s fast-bowling all-rounder but failed to make an impact with either discipline, scoring just 5 runs across two innings and collecting only two wickets in 16 overs in the match. His initial spell in the first innings proved expensive, with an economy rate above six, and he did not contribute the lower-order resilience India hoped for at No. 8.​

How did Shubman Gill use Shardul Thakur at Headingley?

As highlighted by Hindustan Times’ HT Sports Desk, newly appointed captain Shubman Gill appeared reluctant to lean on Shardul with the ball, giving him just six overs in the first innings before turning primarily to the frontline quicks and spin. In the second innings, Shardul managed two important wickets that briefly tilted momentum India’s way, but he was not used in long spells that might have allowed him to settle into a rhythm.​

In a tactical breakdown carried by Moneycontrol’s sports section, Gill’s captaincy was described as instinct-driven, with Gautam Gambhir explaining that Ravindra Jadeja’s strong performance led to Shardul’s reduced workload. Gambhir is quoted as saying that Shardul “wasn’t picked as a specialist bowler” but as a bowling all-rounder, adding that the captain sometimes favours bowlers who appear in better touch on the day, which in this case contributed to Shardul’s underutilisation.​

What exactly did Ajinkya Rahane say in support of Shardul?

As reported by HT Sports Desk of Hindustan Times, Rahane used his YouTube channel to make a clear, public appeal to Gill to show more faith in Shardul’s abilities. Rahane emphasised the strategic value of a genuine all-rounder, stating that Shardul has “been an experienced player and has done well in Test cricket overseas”, and that he personally wants to “see more overs from Shardul”.​

Quoting Rahane, The Times of India sports desk relayed his view that

“if the Indian team can use Shardul Thakur in a better way, that will be really great”,

stressing that the seamer “can swing the ball both ways and is a wicket-taker”. On his channel, Rahane further outlined that if Shardul is allowed to bowl either as first change or even with the new ball, he could exploit the Dukes ball, which generally “starts to behave after 10 or 12 overs”, and become a more decisive factor in the contest.​

Why did Rahane suggest opening the bowling with Bumrah and Shardul?

According to NDTV Sports Desk, Rahane went beyond general backing and proposed a specific plan for how Gill could deploy Shardul. He argued that with the Dukes ball likely to move laterally after the first dozen overs, India would benefit if Shardul could “start the bowling with Bumrah” so that Mohammed Siraj comes on as the first change, thereby giving India varied angles and movement through the early stages.​

As quoted by both NDTV Sports and The Times of India, Rahane insisted that he would “like to see Shardul bowling more overs” and urged Gill to “give him that freedom, he will get you more wickets”, underscoring his belief that confidence and responsibility could transform the all-rounder’s output. He also cautioned against overworking Bumrah, suggesting that greater support from bowlers like Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, where selected, would prevent India’s spearhead from operating under constant pressure.​

How have other experts assessed Shardul’s role and India’s selection?

In the build-up to the series, former India head coach Ravi Shastri outlined his preferred XI on The ICC Review, and as reported by Hindustan Times’ HT Sports Desk, he backed Shardul over Nitish Kumar Reddy for the Headingley Test because of his bowling workload and proven overseas record. Shastri pointed out that if Reddy could consistently deliver 12–14 overs, the decision might tilt in his favour, but in current conditions he felt Shardul offered the more reliable seam-bowling option at No. 8.​

That selection debate has sharpened since the loss, with the same Hindustan Times analysis noting that some observers now favour drafting Reddy into the XI or turning to an extra spinner such as Kuldeep Yadav, who was overlooked for Ravindra Jadeja as the primary spin option. ESPNcricinfo’s coverage of India’s squad balance has also underlined that the inclusion of Shardul was meant to provide a stronger bowling option than Reddy while still offering batting depth, a dual role that did not fully materialise at Headingley.​

What criticism has Shubman Gill faced over his captaincy?

As detailed in analysis pieces from India Today and Firstpost, the Headingley defeat has led to broader questions over Gill’s captaincy in his maiden Test as full-time skipper. While Gill himself scored a composed century in the first innings, commentators noted that field placements were often adjusted by more senior teammates such as Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul, and that he looked under pressure when England accelerated in the fourth innings chase.​

Reports compiled by Moneycontrol and Firstpost highlighted that India’s lower order, from No. 8 to 11, contributed just 9 runs across both innings, putting extra strain on the top and middle order and affecting Gill’s strategic options with the ball. Multiple outlets, including India Today, also pointed to a rash of dropped catches—some off Bumrah’s bowling—as another factor that complicated Gill’s decision-making and eroded India’s grip on the match.​

How did Shardul’s performance compare with expectations?

In pre-series discussions, Shardul was viewed as a key component of India’s away-Test template, given his ability to contribute with both bat and ball, and his prior success in England, where he took eight wickets and scored two half-centuries on the 2021 tour. Hindustan Times reported that he had recently struck an unbeaten 122 in an intra-squad fixture in Kent, raising expectations that he could stabilise the lower order and provide incisive spells with the ball.​

However, as summarised by NDTV Sports and Moneycontrol, those expectations did not translate into returns at Headingley, where his batting influence was negligible and his limited overs with the ball did not change the course of the match. This gap between promise and output has fuelled much of the criticism from fans and pundits, even as Rahane and Gambhir have attempted to shield the player and frame his contribution within the broader context of team strategy and collective failure.​

What changes have been made for the second Test and what does this mean for Shardul?

According to a squad update reported by Crictoday, India responded to the Headingley setback by dropping Shardul for the second Test, bringing in Nitish Kumar Reddy as a batting all-rounder and managing Jasprit Bumrah’s workload through rotation. The same report noted that Washington Sundar was preferred over Kuldeep Yadav, reinforcing the management’s ongoing preference for all-round options in English conditions.​

The move indicates that while Shardul remains a valued squad member, his immediate place in the XI is now uncertain, with Reddy offered an opportunity to stake his claim to the seam-bowling all-rounder role. Against this backdrop, Rahane’s comments, amplified by Hindustan Times, NDTV Sports and The Times of India, are likely to keep the debate alive over whether India has fully capitalised on Shardul’s skills or shifted away from him too quickly after one poor Test.​

Could Rahane’s advice influence Gill’s future use of all-rounders?

The convergence of views from Rahane, Gambhir and Shastri, all reported across outlets including Hindustan Times, NDTV Sports, Moneycontrol and ESPNcricinfo, underscores a broader strategic question for India about the role of seam-bowling all-rounders in overseas Tests. Rahane’s insistence that all-rounders be given both responsibility and freedom, especially early with the ball, reflects a belief that such players can only be judged fairly when entrusted with central roles rather than peripheral ones.​

For Gill, whose captaincy is at an early stage, these public recommendations could shape how he handles not only Shardul in future selections but also rivals for that role like Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar. As India seek to recover from the Headingley defeat and push for a first Test series win in England since 2007, the balance between specialists and all-rounders—and how they are used—will remain a focal issue in both dressing-room discussions and external analysis.