NEW DELHI: Former players, including Sunil Gavaskar, tore into India Wednesday, blaming lower-order batting failures, poor bowling and sloppy fielding for the chastening first Test defeat at Headingley.
A young India team, under new captain Shubman Gill and without the retired Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, went down by five wickets as England comfortably chased what should have been a daunting 371 to win on Tuesday’s final day.
Five India batsmen, including Gill, scored hundreds, but two collapses – from 430-3 to 471 all out in the first innings and 333-4 to 364 in the second – kept England in the game.
India put down several catches, with Yashasvi Jaiswal dropping Ben Duckett on 97 on the final day – and the opener went on to score 149 to set up victory.
“Full credit to England. Despite India having five centurions, they seemed to have that confidence,” Gavaskar said on Sony Sports.
“That is what made them take the final wickets. So that is where India also missed out because those extra runs could have made the difference,” added the former captain.
“As far as the fielding was concerned, it’s just not the catches, but the outfielding was pretty ordinary. Not Test class.
“Hopefully, lessons have been learned.”
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah took 5-83 in the first innings, but was blunted by England during the winning chase and went wicketless.
Veteran left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja was expected to be a force on a wearing fifth-day wicket, but he took just 1-104 as Duckett mercilessly reverse swept him for a series of boundaries, including one majestic six over deep cover.
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“I’m going to be critical of Jadeja because this is a final-day pitch,” former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar said.
“There was rough for him to play with, and in the end, I know there were a couple of chances there, but we have to expect more from Jadeja.”
India head coach Gautam Gambhir defended his lower-order batsmen.
“I think they were more disappointed than anyone, because they knew we had the opportunity,” said Gambhir.
“Hopefully they’ll learn, and hopefully we’ll get better performances from our tail.”
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