India's Fielding Woes Under Scrutiny After First Test Loss to England

Former Selector Criticizes India's Fielding After Test Defeat

Following India's five-wicket loss to England in the first Test, former Indian cricket selector Kiran More has called for patience but pinpointed fielding errors as a critical factor in the defeat.

Yashasvi Jaiswal in action during the match

"We played very well for four days," More told IANS. "I think the mistake came on the last day when England played outstanding cricket. Fielding was where we slipped. Those were simple catches — no one drops those — and that made the difference."

England successfully chased down a target of 371 runs on the final day, securing a 1-0 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Ben Duckett's impressive 149, along with Joe Root's unbeaten 53 and Jamie Smith's 44 not out, fueled England's victory. This chase was England's second-highest successful chase ever and their highest against India in Test matches.

"In the first two days, we were really good, and I felt we could've added another 100–150 runs to our total. If we had scored 450 in the first innings, things might've been different. In the second innings, Rishabh and KL Rahul did well. But again, we collapsed at key moments."

India's first innings saw centuries from Shubman Gill (147), Rishabh Pant (134), and Yashasvi Jaiswal (101), propelling them to 471. However, a subsequent collapse saw them lose seven wickets for only 41 runs. England responded strongly with 465, aided by significant contributions from Duckett (62), Ollie Pope (106), and Brook (99), with their last five wickets adding 189 crucial runs.

In the second innings, India seemed poised for a substantial lead at 333/4, highlighted by a 195-run partnership between Pant (118) and K.L. Rahul (137). Yet, a dramatic collapse saw them lose their last six wickets for just 31 runs, eventually being dismissed for 364 and setting England a target of 371.

"We've got a good, balanced team, but this team is still in transition. I think we need to give them time — a year or so — to settle, find the right combination, and grow into a strong unit. We've scored over 750 runs across both innings, so the batting is there. But we can't keep depending on Bumrah. He needs support — especially from the spinners."

Highlights from the first Test match between India and England.

Jasprit Bumrah, despite his best efforts, went wicketless in the second innings. Prasidh Krishna proved to be expensive, and crucial dropped catches, especially of Harry Brook, further compounded India's woes.

"We've seen it before — from Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sachin, to Kohli and Rohit. Now it's time for new faces to step up. They need time and support. If we keep playing like this and keep making the same mistakes, we won't improve. But give this group time, and we'll have a good team."

The successful chase at Headingley marked the third instance of a target exceeding 350 being achieved at the ground. This match also stands as only the third in Test history where all four innings surpassed 350 runs, underscoring the high-scoring nature of the contest.