England Downs India in First Test: Fielding Lapses and Missed Opportunities Prove Costly, Says Former Selector

Kiran More Urges Patience with India's Test Team After Headingley Defeat

Former Indian selector Kiran More has called for patience regarding the Indian Test team, following their five-wicket loss to England in the first Test match. The former wicketkeeper pinpointed fielding lapses as a crucial factor in the defeat.

Yashasvi Jaiswal in action during the first innings.

Speaking to IANS, More acknowledged India's strong performance for the majority of the match. "We played very well for four days," he stated. "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, securing a 1-0 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series. Ben Duckett's impressive 149, coupled with Joe Root's unbeaten 53 and Jamie Smith's 44 not out, guided England to victory. This chase marked England's second-highest successful chase in Test history and their highest against India.

More reflected on India's batting performance, adding, "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 Pant and KL Rahul did well. But again, we collapsed at key moments."

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

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

"We've got a good, balanced team, but this team is still in transition," More explained. "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 Jasprit Bumrah. He needs support — especially from the spinners."

A recap of India's defeat against England in the first test.

Bumrah went wicketless in the second innings. Prasidh Krishna proved expensive, and dropped catches, particularly of Harry Brook, proved costly.

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