India vs England: Ex-Selector Blames Dropped Catches, Fielding Lapses for 1st Test Loss; Urges Patience

Former Selector More Urges Patience with India After Test Defeat, Cites Fielding Woes

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

Yashasvi Jaiswal in the first test match.

"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 take a 1-0 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Ben Duckett led the charge with 149, while Joe Root remained unbeaten on 53, and Jamie Smith contributed 44 not out. This victory marked England's second-highest successful chase 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 total of 471 included centuries from Shubman Gill (147), Rishabh Pant (134), and Yashasvi Jaiswal (101). However, they lost 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.

India's position looked strong in their second innings at 333/4, powered by a 195-run partnership between Pant (118) and K.L. Rahul (137). The team then lost six wickets for 31 runs, 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 efforts. Prasidh Krishna proved expensive, and multiple 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 this venue. This match also became only the third in Test history where all four innings exceeded 350 runs.