Prasidh Krishna is all praise for new captain Shubman Gill

Despite giving it his best effort with the bat, the Test captaincy era started on the wrong note for Shubman Gill. The 25-year-old replaced Rohit Sharma as India's red-ball skipper ahead of the new WTC Cycle following the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit. The captain fielded a relatively raw team at Headingley in the first India vs England Test. While some of the aspects of this team looked promising in Leeds, the weaker ones cost India the match. After the India vs England series kicked off with a 5-wicket loss for his team, Gill landed in the radar of the critics for his leadership tactics.

Prasidh Krishna hails Shubman Gill as a great captain ahead of second India vs England Test

Shubman Gill scored an impressive 147 to mark his Test captaincy debut. The match at Headingley, furthermore, witnessed KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Rishabh Pant piling their respective tons. Rishabh Pant, with his twin centuries, became only the second wicketkeeper after Andy Flower to hit two tons in a single Test. Moreover, the opening India vs England Test marked the first instance of India hitting five centuries in a single match. The young captain, meanwhile, became only the fifth Indian to lace his Test captaincy with a century.

Despite all these records, India lost the five-day fixture, owing to poor fielding and a toothless bowling attack. While Jasprit Bumrah scripted yet another commanding spell, the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Shardul Thakur failed to keep up the momentum. Moreover, the visitors dropped as many as eight catches, a figure too big to cover up. Furthermore, the tail-end of the batting order failed, restricting the team from setting a winning lead. To summarise the loss, some experts took aim at Shubman Gill for his tactical calls as India's captain.

Now, as India prepares for the second Test in Birmingham, pacer Prasidh Krishna has jumped to his skipper's defence. Talking about the match in a recent media interaction, Krishna lauded the bowling rotations of Gill. The pacer, furthermore, noted that Gill is vocal as a captain and clear in his mind about the need in the play. Prasidh Krishna also appreciated Gill for fostering a good atmosphere for the players in the team.

"About Shubman - yeah, I think he did a pretty good job. All of us saw how he rotated the bowlers, made sure everyone got enough breaks, and brought bowlers in at the right times. He spotted opportunities and used the right bowlers accordingly. All of that was great. And knowing him, he created a very good atmosphere around the team," Prasidh said.

Furthermore, Prasidh Krishna also reflected on India’s lower-order collapse in the first Test. The fast bowler informed that the team is addressing those concerns and working hard in preparation for the second match of the series. The second India vs England Test is slated to kick off on July 2 at Edgbaston, Birmingham, where India is yet to win its first Test match.

"He's been speaking to all of us. We always go in with a plan, and the communication is happening there. As lower-order batsmen, we are definitely working on our game. If you look at our net sessions, we are putting in the work. I think it's also about putting your mind into it - making sure you trust yourself, trust the skill you have, and stay at the crease a little longer. The runs and numbers will then follow. And we are working towards that," said Prasidh.