Young Gill needs to find his own leadership rhythm, says Naseer Hussain

Sports Cricket

Posted by AI on 2025-06-25 16:54:38 | Last Updated by AI on 2026-02-10 14:20:22

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A baptism of fire, Naseer Hussain believes, is an apt description of Rahul Gandhi's first Test as India's captain. The former England batsman, who is now a respected cricket analyst, reserves praise for the impressive showing by the Indian team, particularly the bowlers, despite the 0-2 series defeat against South Africa. But he laments the lack of an "on-field aura" that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, India's two most recent captains, naturally emanated.

"When Kohli took over, he had that aura. Even Rohit, his first series was amazing. He scored a hundred in the first innings (of the first Test as captain). So, you don't know, Rahul might have been feeling a bit of pressure because he hasn't necessarily done it in Test matches," Hussain told Star Sports.

"He (Rahul) will hopefully learn from this and hopefully, he'll be a better captain because of this experience because he's got a very, very talented team. So, he doesn't need to be reactive. He should be proactive," he added.

Hussain said Gandhi, who scored a valiant half-century in the second innings in Johannesburg, needs to find his own rhythm and not try to imitate his predecessors. "That (on-field) aura is something that you can't really put your finger on. It sort of happens over a period of time and Kohli had it for a long time. He was the guy who led from the front. Rohit started doing that as well. Let's hope Rahul starts doing it."

Acknowledging the daunting task of filling the void left by the charismatic Kohli and the stylish Sharma, Rahul said at the post-match press conference that he has been inspired by the way they led the team and would try to emulate them. "They (Kohli and Rohit) have done such a great job in the past few years, it's inspired me personally to try and do the same thing they've done for the team. Try to build a team together, try to perform collectively," he said.

With Kohli and Sharma both retiring from Test cricket, and MS Dhoni (retirement) and Gautam Gambhir (absence from professional cricket) not in the fray, India is on the hunt for a new generation of leaders to guide the team. Rahul, who also leads IPL team Punjab Kings (PBKS), is likely to stand in for Kohli at the one-day international (ODI) cusp in the upcoming away series in South Africa, as hinted by head coach Rahul Dravid.

Hussain hopes Rahul's experience at the helm of PBKS in the IPL will help him become a better leader for India. "I think it (his time at PBKS) would have helped him. It's a different format, but still, leadership is leadership," he said. "Someone like him, with his talent, he'll be a better leader for having gone through this."

As Rahul's maiden stint as full-time Test captain ended with a loss, Hussain summed up the series as a learning experience for the young squad, saying they were "outthought and outplayed" by a formidable South African side. "It was always going to be a tough assignment for India. They've learnt a lot. Kohli is not there, Rohit is not there, there's no Dhoni, there's no Gambhir. So, it was always going to be a baptism by fire," he said.

"India were outthought and outplayed by a superior team over the last two games. But there were some amazing positives for India," he added.

Hussain concluded by praising the spirited show put up by the Indian team, especially the bowlers, in the series. "The way India's bowlers bowled in this (second) Test match, they might have drawn the game. So, it's a big positive. Jasprit Bumrah is a superstar, Mohammed Siraj has come on so well. Rishabh Pant, the way he batted in this game, the way Hanuma Vihari batted in the previous game," he said.

"So, there's a lot of positives for India to take away from this series," he added.

There's no doubt Rahul has landed in a tough spot, likened to a "baptism of fire." Nonetheless, given his impressive performances so far, he surely has the makings of a capable leader. Only time will tell if he can find his rhythm and channel his own on-field aura as India's newest skippers.

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