It was a difficult job for Gill as captain, says Mohammad Kaif after Galle triumph

India won the first Test against Sri Lanka by 165 runs at Galle, with Shubman Gill leading the team as captain. The match was significantly affected by rain interruptions throughout its course, which created unique challenges for the Indian skipper in terms of match management and tactical decisions.

Mohammad Kaif, the former India cricketer, assessed Gill's captaincy performance following the victory. Kaif highlighted the complexities that Gill faced during the match and commended his handling of the situation despite the rain breaks.

"It's not easy as a captain. Of course, India have rarely lost in Sri Lanka. India are the stronger team and should have won, and that's what happened, but since the game was stopped due to rain, it was a difficult job for Gill as captain. He had to set up the game. The ball was in Gill's and Gautam Gambhir's court," Kaif said during a discussion on Sony Sports.

Gill won the toss and elected to bat first, with India posting 462 runs in their opening innings. The captain's decision-making extended beyond the batting order to his bowling strategy, where he made calculated choices about which bowlers to deploy and for how long, particularly in response to the rain-affected nature of the match.

"You had to tell when you would declare and how many overs would be required. All that calculation had to be done. It was a difficult Test match from that perspective. So I will give Gill the numbers as a captain for doing a good job," Kaif said.

Gill's approach to India's bowling attack demonstrated his understanding of match conditions and player strengths. He kept Ravindra Jadeja bowling continuously, recognising the senior spinner's experience and ability to take crucial wickets in challenging situations. Dhananjaya de Silva's dismissal proved to be the turning point in India's favour on Day 5, and Kaif credited Gill's tactical acumen in managing the bowling resources.

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"He batted after winning the toss, which he gained from, as 462 were posted on the board. Then today, he kept bowling Jadeja continuously. He knows Jadeja has been in this phase earlier as a senior player. Jadeja was the one who could have given him the wicket. The good job Gill did was giving Jadeja a long spell, and Dhananjaya's wicket was the turning point," Kaif said.