Former cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar believes Shubman Gill's captaincy is a "work in progress" and that he has missed the presence of his deputy, Rishabh Pant, on the field, as seen by his failed review on the second day of the fourth Test in Manchester.

When the circumstances drastically changed in favor of the batter on the second day at Old Trafford, Gill's leadership was put to the test. India enjoyed an edge with the fresh, new ball, but their errant line and lengths caused it to disappear.

"His captaincy is a work in progress. He had six bowling options, and once he saw the reality of the pitch, it was a very simple mechanical thing to do to give short spells to all six bowlers, including his two pure spinners. Rishabh Pant makes a difference being on the field, and Gill hasn't had his company on the field for a while," Manjrekar said on ESPNcricinfo Match Day.

When Mohammed Siraj persuaded Gill to contest the lbw ruling in the 12th over, the tourists lost a review, adding to India's already dire circumstances. The ball hit Crawley on his pads, but he did not attempt to shoot. Gill chose to follow his speedster's gut because Siraj seemed persuaded.

Given that the footage showed the ball would have missed the middle stump, India lost the review. Pant's presence would have changed the course of events for Manjrekar.

"Especially for the review, I feel Pant would maybe have had a different view on that because that was where you saw a bit of naivety setting in, where Siraj is excited and Gill immediately gave the re-signal for review, where they lost it very early," he added.

Furthermore, Manjrekar voiced frustration over the timing of a dramatic shift in weather and pitch conditions that appeared to tilt Day 2 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford in England’s favor, saying, “India was a bit hard done by the weather gods.”

“During India’s batting, there were dark grey clouds and some moisture—it looked like a black-and-white movie at one point. But today, the pitch really eased up and the skies cleared. Suddenly, it looked like a completely different Test match. Even someone like Jasprit Bumrah found it hard to bowl a wicket-taking delivery,” Manjrekar said on JioHotstar.

He also assessed the debut of pacer Anshul Kamboj, who removed Duckett for his maiden Test wicket.

“I’m very happy for Kamboj—there are clear signs that he has potential. But he can’t afford to bowl back of a length at under 130 kph. The pitch didn’t help him either today,” Manjrekar said.

After compiling a valiant 358, including a brave 54 from Rishabh Pant, India's bowlers struggled under clearer skies and a softer surface, as Ben Duckett (94) and Zak Crawley (84) stitched a 166-run opening stand for the hosts. England finished day two on 225/2, with Joe Root and Ollie Pope looking comfortable at stumps.