India's Fielding Blunders Under Fire After First Test Defeat Against England

Former Selector Criticizes India's Fielding After Test Defeat Against England

Following India's five-wicket loss to England in the first Test, former Indian selector Kiran More has called for patience while pointing out the team's fielding lapses.

Yashasvi Jaiswal in action during the first Test. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

More told IANS that the crucial mistakes occurred on the final day. He stated, "We played very well for four days. 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 chased down a target of 371 runs to secure a 1-0 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Ben Duckett led the charge with 149 runs, supported by Joe Root's unbeaten 53 and Jamie Smith's 44 not out. This victory stands as England's second-highest successful chase and their highest against India.

India's first innings saw them score 471, including centuries from Shubman Gill (147), Rishabh Pant (134), and Yashasvi Jaiswal (101). However, a collapse saw them lose seven wickets for just 41 runs. England responded with 465, with contributions from Duckett (62), Ollie Pope (106), and Brook (99). The final five English wickets added 189 runs.

In the second innings, India was in a strong position at 333/4, thanks to a 195-run partnership between Pant (118) and K.L. Rahul (137). Yet, another collapse saw them lose six wickets for 31 runs, eventually being dismissed for 364 and setting England a target of 371.

More emphasized the need for patience with the team, saying, "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."

Despite his efforts, Jasprit Bumrah went wicketless in the second innings. Prasidh Krishna proved to be expensive, and the dropped catches, especially those of Harry Brook, were costly for India.

More concluded, "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 the venue. The match was also only the third in Test history where all four innings exceeded 350 runs.