Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria believes that test captain Shubman Gill, who guided the side to a 2-2 draw in the series, will serve as a major source of motivation for youngsters going ahead of his career.
Before the start of the tour, Shubman Gill was appointed as the test captain after the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
However, Gill not only silenced his haters but also attained new heights as a batter after finishing the five-match test series with an aggregate of 754 runs including four centuries.
Speaking on Gill’s leadership, Danish Kaneria said, “Hats off to the crowd, they made it feel like the game was being played in India. Shubman Gill did a great captaincy throughout the tour and his tactical brilliance on the final day helped India a lot. His decision to continue with the old bowl hugely benefited India.”
“This series was important for Shubman Gill as it was his first series as a captain. Drawing a series overseas with a young team is a big motivation for him,” added Kaneria.
“He will learn a lot of things in the future, and there will always be ifs and buts but I think he can be a fantastic captain in a long run. He absorbed the pressure brilliantly, and it is a good start of his captaincy career.”
Formers spinner also continued to praise Mohammed Siraj for his outstanding spell on the final day of the series to win the fifth test by six runs.
“Siraj was outstanding with the ball, he was unbelievable. I feel happy to see a cricketer like him. He never gives up. He was upset with the loss at Lord’s and he made sure that India win at The Oval and level the series. He gave his heart and soul for the country. It was a terrific win and the Test match to watch,” Danish Kaneria said.
“Without Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah, this Test was very important for India as the series was on the line. They wanted to win the Test and make a statement. People criticised them before going on the tour but they made sure to give a tough contest.”
“This team has raised the expectations of people. Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair played their role,” Kaneria added.
Additonally, he spoke on courage shown by Rishabh Pant and Chris woakes who showed to bat after their respective injuries.
Kaneria feels that such act could motivate everyone while recalling Anil Kumble’s grit of bowling with a broken jaw against West Indies in 2022.
“It motivates a lot. Chris Woakes should be credited for what he did. When you play for your country, you don’t think about pain. We’ve have this a lot in the past, Anil Kumble is the leading example when he bowled with a broken jaw,” added Kaneria.
“It is a big motivation for everyone. Rishabh Pant also scored runs even after fracturing his foot. When Woakes was running, he was in severe pain but still he tried and that’s the beauty of the game,” concluded Danish Kaneria.
