Former Selector Blasts India's Fielding Lapses After Test Defeat to England; 'Simple Catches Cost Us'

Former Selector Criticizes India's Fielding After First Test Loss to England

Kiran More, a former Indian cricket selector and wicketkeeper, has called for patience regarding the Indian Test team following their five-wicket defeat against England in the first Test at Headingley. He emphasized that subpar fielding was a critical factor in the loss.

"We performed exceptionally well for the first four days," More told IANS. "The turning point was the final day when England displayed outstanding cricket. Our fielding faltered. Those were routine catches that should have been taken, and that ultimately made the difference."

England successfully chased down a target of 371 runs on the final day, taking a 1-0 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Ben Duckett led the charge with a remarkable 149, supported by Joe Root's unbeaten 53 and Jamie Smith's 44 not out. This victory represents England's second-highest successful chase ever, and their highest against India.

"We were in a strong position during the first two days, and I felt we could have added another 100–150 runs to our total," More stated. "If we had reached 450 in the first innings, the outcome might have been different. In the second innings, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul performed well, but we experienced collapses at crucial moments."

India's first innings saw a total of 471, including centuries from Shubman Gill (147), Rishabh Pant (134), and Yashasvi Jaiswal (101). However, they suffered a significant collapse, losing seven wickets for just 41 runs. England responded with 465, featuring contributions from Duckett (62), Ollie Pope (106), and Brook (99), with their last five wickets adding 189 runs.

In their second innings, India seemed to be in control at 333/4, fueled by a 195-run partnership between Pant (118) and K.L. Rahul (137). However, the team then lost six wickets for a mere 31 runs, ultimately being dismissed for 364 and setting England a target of 371.

"We have a good, balanced team, but this team is still in a transitional phase," More explained. "I believe we need to give them time—about a year or so—to settle, find the right combination, and develop into a strong unit. We've scored over 750 runs across both innings, demonstrating our batting strength. However, we can't solely rely on Bumrah. He needs support, especially from the spinners."

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

"We've witnessed it before—from Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sachin, to Kohli and Rohit. Now, it's time for new faces to step up," More added. "They require time and support. If we continue to play like this and repeat 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.