India conceded a massive total of 405 runs in the second ODI.
Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif made critical remarks regarding Shubman Gill's captaincy and team selection strategy amid the ongoing India-West Indies ODI series.
During the second ODI against in Guwahati on Wednesday (September 30), the Caribbean side posted a massive total of 405 runs.
Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir opted to field inexperienced young pacers like Gurnoor Brar and Auqib Nabi on a flat track, where both rookies leaked heavy runs.
Kaif pointed out that dismissing the high scores simply as a "flat pitch" excuse undermines the tactical requirement of managing bowling resources properly with senior guidance.
"It's hurting me that he's not able to see these things. I don't know who is telling him things behind. First he has to accept that he is still learning captaincy and that is why he needs experienced bowlers. This is why the captaincy is getting exposed. You cannot become a good captain by giving excuse of flat pitch. Flat pitches will always be there. It has been there since ages. I feel Shubman Gill will have to be smart here and bring in a mix of experienced and new bowlers. If Nabi is getting hit, how will Gurnoor help him? A senior bowler can help the young bowlers. You cannot play all young bowlers. You are destroying careers of young bowlers as well," Kaif said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel.
Kaif highlighted that Gill is facing a uniquely difficult transition into captaincy because he lacks the extensive playing experience and the cushion of veteran senior players that previous Indian captains enjoyed.
He also argued that pairing an inexperienced captain with an equally inexperienced bowling attack creates a vulnerable combination, leaving Gill with fewer options to control the game when runs are flowing quickly on flat pitches.
"Shubman Gill is a young captain. If you see any experienced captain or older players, by the time they got ODI captaincy, they had played a lot of games already. The transition has happened very early for Gill. The others had a lot of support of senior players as well. Gill does not have that support really. He has to think about this. He is a young captain and a work in progress himself," Kaif stated.
"He is heading towards understanding how to be a good captain. In this, if you get inexperienced bowling like this, his captaincy will not run for long. Even if it is a flat track, senior bowlers will find ways to deliver. A young team and a young captain is a bad combination. That was exposed and it was seen that he had no idea when so many runs were getting scored," he added.
With Jasprit Bumrah away due to the Asian Games commitments, India's bowling line-up lacks seniors who could step up and navigate a batting onslaught.
Kaif advised Gill against frequent chopping and changing of young bowlers, arguing that dropping players immediately after a few poor performances stifles their growth and prevents a captain from building a cohesive team.
"This weakness will never convert into strength if you give guys just few games or few overs. A young bowler needs time. If you have picked them, give them the stability. Don't drop immediately if they don't do well. You can never build a team like this. Skill wise, we have gone down in bowling. Give the ball to guys like Bhuvneshwar and they will get the ball to swing no matter what the pitch is. My advice to Shubman Gill is to back skillful bowlers," Kaif remarked.
Despite the tactical vulnerability exposed in that high-scoring game, Shubman Gill bounced back brilliantly, blasting a record-breaking 223* off 133 balls to seal the series 2-0 for India.