India's Fielding Woes Under Scrutiny After Test Loss to England: Former Selector Points to Dropped Catches as Key Factor

Former India Selector Critiques Team India's Fielding After Test Defeat

Following India's five-wicket loss to England in the first Test, former Indian selector Kiran More has called for patience while also pinpointing fielding lapses as a key factor in the defeat.

Yashasvi Jaiswal of India (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

"We played very well for four days," More 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 series. Ben Duckett led the charge with a remarkable 149, 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 cricket.

"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 Shubman Gill (147), Rishabh Pant (134), and Yashasvi Jaiswal (101) scoring centuries, contributing to a total of 471. However, a sudden 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). The lower order added a crucial 189 runs to their total.

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

Jasprit Bumrah went wicketless in the second innings. Prasidh Krishna's expensive spell and the dropped catches, particularly of Harry Brook, further compounded India's woes.

"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 instance of a target over 350 being achieved at the venue. Additionally, this match became only the third in Test history where all four innings exceeded 350 runs.