Gambhir Defends India's Tailenders After Headingley Collapse; Cites Dropped Catches as Key Factor in Test Loss
India's aspirations were dashed on the final day at Headingley, succumbing to defeat against England. Despite controlling the match's tempo for much of the five days, they ultimately failed to capitalize, witnessing England achieve a 371-run chase with relative ease. This marks India's seventh loss in their last nine Tests, potentially the most disappointing due to the opportunities squandered.
Despite amassing 835 runs and featuring five individual centurions, including a century in each innings by Rishabh Pant, India fell short. The key reasons were two significant batting collapses.
India suffered a loss of 7 wickets for 41 runs in the first innings and 6 for 31 in the second. The initial collapse undermined what could have been a substantial first-innings lead, allowing England to stay within striking distance. The second collapse proved more damaging, leaving India with a defendable but ultimately insufficient target of 371, which England chased down comfortably.
Shubman Gill revealed that the team aimed for a target "around 435". However, head coach Gautam Gambhir believes the momentum shifted earlier, stating that reaching "570, 580 in the first innings" could have secured India's dominance.
Gambhir defended the lower order's performance. Shardul Thakur's aggressive shot selection led to his dismissal in both innings, while Prasidh Krishna's attempt at a slog sweep resulted in his wicket.
"It's not that they weren't applying themselves. Sometimes people fail. And that's okay," Gambhir stated. He acknowledged the team's disappointment but emphasized that the lower order's struggles weren't solely responsible for the defeat. "Even proper batters fail. Hopefully they'll learn, and hopefully we'll get better performances from our tail. And that is not the only reason we lost the Test match."
Another contributing factor was India's poor catching. They dropped seven catches, with Yashasvi Jaiswal being a repeat offender. Ben Duckett, dropped on 97, capitalized on the opportunity to score a match-defining 149. Gill acknowledged the challenges posed by the Headingley pitch but emphasized the need for improved standards.
"Yes, that was something that we spoke about," Gill said. "But when you are out there in the middle, it happens so quickly... Chances don't come easy, especially on wickets like these, and we dropped quite a few catches... hopefully, in the next matches, we'll be able to improve on those aspects."
Despite acknowledging the team's youth, Gambhir dismissed it as an excuse. "Every defeat is bad. It's not about a young team or an experienced team. It's an Indian team... A young team is not an excuse... We will turn up every Test match thinking that we can win the test match and win the series."
Gambhir also confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah would only play two more Test matches, as pre-determined to manage his workload. The specific matches are yet to be decided. "Before he came on the show, it was already decided that he's going to play three Test matches... We haven't decided which two other Test matches he's going to play."
He expressed confidence in the remaining bowlers, stating, "Even without Bumrah, we absolutely have the bowling attack [to compete]... We believe and we trust that these boys will deliver for us."
