India's Fielding Woes Exposed in First Test Loss to England, Says Former Selector Or Ex-Selector Blames Dropped Catches as India Falls to England in First Test Despite Centuries

Former Selector Urges Patience After India's Test Defeat, Cites Fielding Lapses

Following India's five-wicket defeat to England in the first Test at Headingley, former Indian cricket selector and wicketkeeper Kiran More has called for patience with the team. He specifically pointed to fielding as a critical area where India faltered.

Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a century in the first innings but India still lost.

"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 secure a 1-0 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Ben Duckett led the charge with a score of 149, 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 ever against India.

India's first innings saw them post a total of 471, fueled by centuries from Shubman Gill (147), Rishabh Pant (134), and Yashasvi Jaiswal (101). However, a collapse saw them lose seven wickets for a mere 41 runs. England responded with 465, with significant contributions from Duckett (62), Ollie Pope (106), and Brook (99), the tailenders adding 189 runs.

In their second innings, India appeared to be in a commanding position at 333/4, largely due to a 195-run partnership between Pant (118) and K.L. Rahul (137). However, a dramatic collapse saw them lose their last 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 stated.

Transition Phase and Future Prospects

"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, and Prasidh Krishna's performance proved expensive. Crucially, multiple dropped catches, especially of Harry Brook, 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.