Shubman Gill will have to lead from front on tough England tour: Harbhajan Singh
Speaking at the launch of the TV show Who's the Boss on Sunday, Harbhajan welcomed Gill's appointment but emphasised the high expectations and tough conditions that await."Obviously, it is a great move, having a young captain like Shubman Gill who has done well in franchise cricket," Harbhajan told PTI. "But this is going to be a tough tour. England has never been an easy place to play Test cricket. I hope that Shubman and Rishabh Pant-this young team-can step up. There is no Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, and that leaves a big gap that needs to be filled. Shubman will have to lead from the front."advertisementHarbhajan also urged fans and critics not to judge the team too quickly, stressing the importance of giving this young side time to grow."I would also like to ask people not to start judging too early-even if this tour doesn't go their way," he said. "It is okay even if they do not win; they will be learning from the experience. I believe that everyone on this tour will come back stronger."India's squad, entering a new era under Gill's leadership, carries promise but also faces uncertainty. With unfamiliar conditions and high-pressure expectations, the team's performance in England will likely shape perceptions of this next generation of Indian cricketers. And as Harbhajan noted, it's not just about results-but about resilience, learning, and long-term growth.Tune In You May Also Like
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But the crux of the disintegration happened from 17-17 to trailing 17-20, in allowing Naraoka to edge ahead. And it is this finishing freeze that bothers the seasoned coach no end. 'I'm disappointed and a little concerned. Till 17-all he was OK, but Lakshya should have taken the first game,' the coach says. 'He's still not applying himself in those crucial situations. He needed to push pace for Kodai can be beaten when you vary pace.' Sen couldn't inject speed and the shot selection entirely failed him. Luck doesn't just favour the brave but also cackles at passivity and tentativeness in sport. In what was a recurring instance, Sen's net play remained completely blurred and faltering, and his attempt to hack at a dribble (or was it a lift?) clipped the chord and fell on his own side, on a poor day to give Kodai the opener 21-19. The speed at which Naraoka played was taking a toll on his endurance, and he was panting wildly but at 5-1 came another chance for the Indian – albeit after a winner that left the crowd agape. Naraoka picked a shuttle low on his backhand flank in the midcourt and recovered so quickly that his forehand push on the next shot on the opposite side found an empty court as Sen was too stunned to react. The Indian made it 6-10 from 1-8 down, erringly believing Naraoka had tired, but once again didn't continue the momentum, and had no answers to crosscourt smashes to his forehand lines. His net sharpness was abysmal and the lifts were lollipops offered to invite smashes. On his net game, Vimal said, 'Lakshya was not sharp at the net and Kodai was comfortable playing him. The shuttle wasn't spinning in dribbles or tumbles leading to errors and lifts were not great,' he said. Sen should have used punch clears to open up the court, for Kodai could only play retrievable drops to the back. 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He just needs to train for his strokes harder.' While some might prescribe playing smaller events and winning titles to regain confidence, neither coach nor player would settle for that placebo, and will have to gulp down bitter losses and plod on. 'This level (Super 750) I've played few matches in past 2-3 months,' Sen told BWF. But this is the kind of level I want to play, week in, week out. Definitely this was good experience for me. It will help me in coming tournaments and in World Championships,' Sen hinted at what's whirling in his mind. Sen ceded he knew what was lacking. 'Against Kodai, you have to earn every point. No easy points. He's a very steady player. So you just have to wait for the right chance to …he has a solid defense, so I have to be sharp in my attack,' he said. He next heads to China Open, a Super 1000 at Changzhou. Chastised a little and hungry to prove a point at a big event – that might well add some sting to the smash, though Vimal insists he needs to fight harder.
