After India’s five-wicket loss to England in the series opener, head coach Gautam Gambhir backs his players amid criticism over dropped catches and lower-order collapse.
Leeds [UK], June 25 — India vs England Test Series: Following India’s agonizing five-wicket defeat to England at Headingley, head coach Gautam Gambhir stepped up in defense of his players, asserting that none of the six dropped catches during the match were intentional. India, under new captain Shubman Gill, began their transition into a fresh Test era without stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, but their spirited performance faltered at critical moments, allowing England to go 1-0 up in the five-match series.
Full Report:
India began the first Test on a high, with the young squad producing a remarkable batting display that left Headingley spectators enthralled. Riding on centuries from Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant, India put up a massive 471 in the first innings. However, their advantage was eroded by dropped catches, sloppy fielding, and collapses from the lower order in both innings.
The most glaring lapse came on the final day when Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped a regulation catch off Ben Duckett on 97 — a lifeline the English opener capitalized on, going on to score a match-winning 149. Jaiswal, responsible for three of the six missed chances, wore a visibly distraught look post-match.
Despite intense criticism from fans and pundits, Gambhir firmly defended his players at the post-match press conference.
“Catches do get dropped. The best fielders have missed catches. None of them did it on purpose,” said Gambhir.
Beyond fielding woes, India’s tail-end collapses in both innings played a crucial role in their downfall. In the first innings, India lost seven wickets for 40 runs, and in the second innings, six wickets fell for just 30 runs. While the top five batters amassed 721 runs through five centuries, the rest of the lineup contributed a mere 65 runs — a staggering imbalance.
“Yes, from a batting point of view, it’s disappointing,” Gambhir admitted. “When we had the opportunity to make around 600 runs in the first inning, we were in a situation where we could have dominated.”
Still, Gambhir remained optimistic, praising the team’s fighting spirit.
“But again, these things happen. Hopefully, we can learn in the second Test match,” he added.
“The good thing was that we had opportunities all four or five days where we could have dominated this Test match.”
The defeat also marked a challenging start for Shubman Gill as Test captain. With the second Test scheduled in Birmingham next week, India will be looking to bounce back and level the series.