Former India Selector Blasts Fielding Woes After First Test Loss to England: "Simple Catches Cost Us" OR India vs. England: Ex-Selector Blames Dropped Catches for Test Defeat, Urges Patience

Former Selector Criticizes 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 errors as a key factor in the defeat.

More told IANS that India played well for four days, but the turning point was England's outstanding performance on the final day. He emphasized that missed catches, which he described as "simple," significantly impacted the outcome.

England successfully chased down a target of 371 runs, securing a 1-0 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Ben Duckett's impressive 149, along with Joe Root's unbeaten 53 and Jamie Smith's 44*, guided England to victory. This chase was England's second-highest successful chase ever and their highest against India.

More noted India's strong performance in the first two days, suggesting that an additional 100-150 runs in the first innings could have altered the course of the match. He also acknowledged valuable contributions from Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul in the second innings but lamented the team's collapses at crucial junctures.

India's first innings saw centuries from Shubman Gill (147), Rishabh Pant (134), and Yashasvi Jaiswal (101), culminating in a total of 471. However, a subsequent loss of seven wickets for just 41 runs hindered their progress. England responded with 465, with contributions from Duckett (62), Ollie Pope (106), and Brook (99).

India's second innings initially appeared promising at 333/4, fueled by a 195-run partnership between Pant (118) and K.L. Rahul (137). Yet, a collapse saw them lose six wickets for 31 runs, ultimately being dismissed for 364.

More emphasized the need for patience with the team, stating, "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, and Prasidh Krishna's performance was expensive. The dropped catches, especially those of Harry Brook, proved costly.

More concluded by highlighting the cyclical nature of cricket, with new players needing time to develop, stating, "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 exceeding 350 being achieved at the venue. The match also became only the third in Test history where all four innings surpassed 350 runs, underscoring the high-scoring nature of the contest.