Shubman Gill’s biggest challenge in his nascent journey as an all-format player will be the need to switch between three versions of the sport quickly, felt former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara but expressed confidence that the skipper has the required maturity to live up to the task.
Gill was in Australia recently leading the ODI side, and he was deputy to Suryakumar Yadav in the T20s before travelling back to India for the two-match Test series against South Africa, starting at Kolkata on Friday (November 14, 2025).
“Someone like Shubman, who is still a young player, doesn’t really have a heavy physical workload. But mentally, it can be challenging,” JioStar expert Pujara said during the Media Day ahead of the first Test against the Proteas.
“He was recently in Australia leading the Indian one-day squad, then he played T20s, and now he suddenly has to shift from white-ball to red-ball cricket, not in Australia, but in India, where the conditions are completely different.
“His biggest challenge will be adjusting to different formats as quickly as possible. In Test cricket, you need temperament, patience and you also need to change your game plan according to the format and to do that very quickly is always challenging for any top class player.”
Pujara, however, backed Gill to handle the demands of captaincy and the format change, citing India’s recent performances in England and against the West Indies at home.
“But someone like him, who is young, maturing quickly, and already leading the team well, I’m sure will respond positively. The Indian Test team’s recent form will also help him; they did exceptionally well in the West Indies and before that in England.
“Shubman, as captain, will gain confidence from that. And they’re playing South Africa, who recently won the World Test Championship and remain a top side. It will be a competitive series, and I’m sure Shubman is looking forward to the challenge,” he added.
“Jurel will strengthen Indian batting lineup”
Riding on his twin tons for India A in the recent four-day series against South Africa A, wicketkeeper batter Dhruv Jurel is set to play the first Test in Kolkata despite the presence of Rishabh Pant, who is coming back after suffering an injury in England in July.
Pujara backed Jurel’s inclusion to beef up the batting line-up.
“Well, firstly the kind of form he is in, Dhruv Jurel definitely deserves a spot in the playing 11. I believe that he will bat at number 6. The Indian top order will remain the same as what we saw in England…but number 6 spot is up for grabs where Karun was batting in England,” Pujara said.
“So, I believe that Dhruv will take that spot and bat at number 6. And then, depending on the pitch, but most likely it will be three spinners and two seamers.
“That’s how I look at the team combination and that’s how Dhruv will pitch into this playing 11. But I definitely believe the kind of form he is in, the way he is batting, it will strengthen the Indian batting lineup.”
Crucial for Sudharsan
Pujara said it will be a crucial series for No.3 batter Sai Sudharsan.
“Sai is a young player who is maturing very quickly. He has shown that he has the potential. It is just about converting his starts. Once he gets that first 100, I think he will be a lot more confident.
“It’s not just about the number 3 spot, it is also about him proving that he can be part of this playing 11. Doesn’t matter whether he continues batting at number 3 or depending on the team’s requirement if the batting position changes.
“As of now, yes, he is the one who will continue batting at number 3 but Jurel is someone who has also shown a lot of potential. So if Jurel starts scoring runs, you never know, he might be batting at a different position.” The Proteas have three good spinners in Simon Harmer, Senuran Muthusamy and Keshav Maharaj and Pujara felt that the presence of quality spinners and allrounders make the visitors a tough team to beat.
“The pitch will play a major role because if you are playing on a slightly better pitch which will also allow the batters to score some runs. I still feel that there will be enough assistance for the spinners but it won’t be a ranked turn,” he said.
“Definitely the South African team has very good spinners and at the same time they have got good all-rounders as well which will make them a very competitive team to beat.” Pujara said runs from the top-order batters were mandatory for South Africa to stretch India.
“South Africa have some good all-rounders, but the key for them will be their batting. They also have quality spinners — Harmar and Maharaj have played a lot of cricket and bring strong first-class experience. Their spinners will bowl well, I have no doubt about that.
“But for them to win a Test match, their batters must put enough runs on the board. If the South African batters can post somewhere around 350 to 400 on a good surface, they will give themselves a real chance. Their all-rounders and spinners will do their part, but the batting will be crucial.” Pujara reckoned Axar Patel might just miss the Test, considering the riches in India’s squad.
“It’s unfortunate because he is a quality player. But that’s the kind of talent India have at the moment… If Axar were playing for another country, he probably wouldn’t be left out of the XI,” he signed off.
Published – November 13, 2025 02:00 pm IST
