India's Fielding Woes Blamed for Test Defeat; Former Selector Urges Patience

Former Indian selector Kiran More has called for patience with the national Test team following their recent five-wicket loss to England at Headingley. He identified fielding lapses as a critical factor in the defeat.

"We performed strongly for four days," More told IANS. "The turning point was the final day when England played exceptionally well. Our fielding let us down. Simple catches were dropped, and those errors proved decisive."

England successfully chased down a target of 371 on the final day, taking a 1-0 lead in the series. Ben Duckett's impressive 149, along with Joe Root's unbeaten 53 and Jamie Smith's 44 not out, secured the victory. This chase marked England's second-highest successful chase in Test history and their highest against India.

More acknowledged India's strong start to the match but highlighted missed opportunities. "In the initial two days, we were excellent. We could have added another 100–150 runs to our total. A first-innings score of 450 would have changed the game. Rishabh and KL Rahul performed well in the second innings, but we experienced collapses at crucial moments."

India's first innings featured centuries from Shubman Gill (147), Rishabh Pant (134), and Yashasvi Jaiswal (101), contributing to a total of 471. However, a sudden collapse saw them lose seven wickets for just 41 runs. England responded with 465, with significant contributions from Duckett (62), Ollie Pope (106), and Brook (99).

In their second innings, India appeared 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 resulted in the loss of six wickets for 31 runs, leading to a total of 364 and setting England a target of 371.

"We have a good, balanced team, but it's still in transition," More explained. "They need time, around a year, to settle, find the right combination, and develop into a strong unit. Our batting is there, as evidenced by the 750+ runs across both innings. However, we can't solely rely on Bumrah; he needs support, especially from the spinners."

Jasprit Bumrah went wicketless in the second innings. Prasidh Krishna's performance was expensive, and the dropped catches, particularly of Harry Brook, proved detrimental to India's chances.

"We've witnessed the rise of legends like Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sachin, Kohli, and Rohit. Now, it's time for new faces to emerge. They require time and support. We won't improve if we continue to repeat the same mistakes. But if we give this group time, we'll have a good team."

The successful chase at Headingley marked the third time a target exceeding 350 has been achieved at that venue. The match was also only the third in Test history where all four innings surpassed 350 runs.