India's Fielding Woes Under Scrutiny After Test Defeat; Ex-Selector More Calls for Patience

Former Indian selector Kiran More has called for patience with the Indian Test team after their five-wicket loss to England in the first Test. More pinpointed fielding lapses as a critical factor in the defeat.

Yashasvi Jaiswal in action for India

"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 on the final day, securing a 1-0 lead in the series. Ben Duckett's impressive 149, alongside Joe Root's unbeaten 53 and Jamie Smith's 44 not out, guided England to victory. This chase marked England's second-highest successful chase ever, and their highest against India in Test cricket.

India's first innings saw them post a substantial 471, fueled by centuries from Shubman Gill (147), Rishabh Pant (134), and Yashasvi Jaiswal (101). However, a 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 the second innings, India looked set for a strong total at 333/4, thanks to a 195-run partnership between Pant (118) and K.L. Rahul (137). However, they suffered another collapse, losing their last six wickets for 31 runs and were eventually dismissed for 364, setting England a target of 371.

"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," More added.

More emphasized the need to give the team time to develop. "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, while Prasidh Krishna proved expensive. The dropped catches, especially those of Harry Brook, also proved costly for India.

"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 was historic, marking the third time a target over 350 has been achieved at the venue. Additionally, the match became only the third in Test history where all four innings exceeded 350 runs.