Former India Selector Blasts Fielding Lapses After Test Defeat; Urges Patience With Team

Former Selector Criticizes India's Fielding After Test Defeat

Kiran More, former Indian selector and wicketkeeper, has called for patience with the Indian Test team after their recent five-wicket loss to England in the first Test at Headingley. More pinpointed fielding errors as a critical factor in the defeat.

Yashasvi Jaiswal after scoring a century in the first innings.

"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, taking a 1-0 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Ben Duckett led the charge with 149 runs, supported by Joe Root's unbeaten 53 and Jamie Smith's 44 not out. This victory stands as England's second-highest successful chase ever, and their highest against India in Test matches.

More also commented on India's batting performance: "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, including centuries from Shubman Gill (147), Rishabh Pant (134), and Yashasvi Jaiswal (101). However, a significant collapse saw them lose seven wickets for just 41 runs. England responded with 465, with notable contributions from Duckett (62), Ollie Pope (106), and Brook (99), their last five wickets adding 189 runs.

In their second innings, India appeared to be in a commanding position at 333/4, buoyed by a 195-run partnership between Pant (118) and K.L. Rahul (137). However, they then suffered another collapse, losing six wickets for just 31 runs and ultimately being dismissed for 364, 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."

Highlights from the first Test match between India and England.

Jasprit Bumrah went wicketless in the second innings despite his best efforts. Prasidh Krishna proved to be expensive, and the dropped catches, most notably of Harry Brook, proved to be incredibly costly for the Indian side.

"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. This match also became only the third in Test history where all four innings exceeded 350 runs.