Ravichandran Ashwin, a former India teammate and famed spinner, thinks Test captain Shubman Gill behaves naturally and isn’t being told what to say or how to act. Gill led India’s comeback in the current Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, where they beat England by a record 336 runs in the second Test, tying the five-match series at one-all.

Ashwin, after watching Gill’s interactions with the media since he was chosen as India’s Test captain, noticed that the young batter isn’t faking anything and seems to know exactly what he’s doing.

Shubman has a natural talent, Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. I was watching his press conference and saw right away that he wasn’t putting on an act. He speaks like himself. He is guiding the team with his own skills and ideas. It’s clear to see.

“Please don’t misunderstand, many players are told what to say and what to do. But that doesn’t appear to be true for Shubman Gill. He seems like someone who is doing what he believes in, and too much coaching and input might stop someone from being themselves. Shubman Gill seems completely in charge and is having a good time, he added.

India lost the first Test of the series in Leeds, and even though it was Gill’s first Test as captain, some questioned his leadership. Some former cricketers suggested that there were too many captains on the field, suggesting the 25-year-old wasn’t really in control.

Ashwin says that the media in other countries often goes after the visiting captain because that can hurt the whole team.

When touring, the media in the host country often targets the captain because if you can bring the captain down, it’s easier to bring the team down, Ashwin said. If you go after the captain, you can make the team fall apart. That’s why it’s very important for the captain to be in good form and have control of the team.

“Sadly, the English media tried to do that (target Gill). We were also unsure at first, but he has answered everyone in these two matches. England missed a trick by playing on these pitches and allowing the Indian batters to score lots of runs. Now, Shubman Gill has the chance to really dominate this series, he added.