India's Fielding Woes and Batting Collapses Blamed in First Test Defeat Against England: Former Selector Urges Patience

Former India Selector More Calls for Patience After First Test Defeat

Following India's five-wicket loss to England in the first Test at Headingley, former Indian cricket selector and wicketkeeper Kiran More has urged fans and critics alike to be patient with the Team India. More specifically pointed to the team's fielding miscues as a major factor in the defeat.

Yashasvi Jaiswal of India (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

"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 to take a 1-0 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Ben Duckett led the charge with a score of 149, supported by Joe Root, who remained unbeaten on 53, and Jamie Smith, who contributed 44 not out. The match was decided in six sessions. This victory marks England's second-highest successful chase ever and their highest against India in Test cricket.

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

In their second innings, India appeared to be in a commanding position at 333/4, bolstered by a significant 195-run partnership between Pant (118) and K.L. Rahul (137). However, another collapse saw them lose six wickets for just 31 runs, ultimately being dismissed for 364 and setting England a target of 371.

"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."

More emphasized the need for patience with the current squad. "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."

Jasprit Bumrah went wicketless in the second innings despite his best efforts. Prasidh Krishna proved to be expensive, and the numerous dropped catches, particularly of Harry Brook, ultimately proved costly for India.

"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 time a target over 350 has been achieved at this venue. This match also became only the third in Test history where all four innings exceeded 350 runs.