India's Fielding Woes Blasted by Ex-Selector After Test Defeat Against England; Calls for Patience Amid Transition

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

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

"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, securing a 1-0 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Ben Duckett's impressive 149, coupled with Joe Root's unbeaten 53 and Jamie Smith's not-out 44, sealed the victory. This chase marked England's second-highest successful chase in history and their highest against India in Test matches.

"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."

India's first innings saw them post a total of 471, highlighted by centuries from Shubman Gill (147), Rishabh Pant (134), and Yashasvi Jaiswal (101). However, a subsequent 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), their lower order adding a crucial 189 runs.

In their second innings, India seemed to be in a commanding position at 333/4, thanks to a 195-run partnership between Pant (118) and K.L. Rahul (137). However, another collapse ensued, with the team losing 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. 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 despite his best efforts. Prasidh Krishna's expensive spell and the dropped catches, particularly 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 the venue. Notably, this match also became only the third in Test history where all four innings exceeded 350 runs.