Poor bowling, dropped catches, and lack of tactical discipline cost India the match 

Our Correspondent 

Scoring three centuries in the first innings of a Test match in England was reason enough for India to believe they could overcome shortcomings in other departments and still secure a win at Headingley. Given that the batting lineup is relatively young and missing the experience of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, a total of 471 was just the kind of start India needed to lift morale under new captain Shubman Gill.  Gill showed the way in batting with a fine century in the first innings. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s fluent knock, two brilliant hundreds from Rishabh Pant, and KL Rahul’s masterful innings in the second innings (where India scored 365) put the visitors in a strong position. England needed to chase down 371.

Yes, India’s bowling attack heavily relies on Jasprit Bumrah’s effectiveness, and he delivers on most days. Yes, the pitch was so flat it barely needed a roller. And yes, Gill was making his captaincy debut, leading a team in transition with limited experience. Yet all of these factors seemed secondary in the glow of that massive first-innings total. Surely, they couldn’t lose from here! That was the thought in the mind of the average cricket fan.

Unless, of course, India collapsed spectacularly in bowling and fielding. Unless Bumrah had an off day and his supporting cast just failed to show up.
Unfortunately, those very fears came true on the fifth and final day. India suffered an embarrassing five-wicket defeat, swept off their feet after being in a commanding position. For the next one week, this loss will weigh heavily on Gill and his team until they walk in the middle in Birmingham and make amends.
So, where exactly did India go so horribly wrong? Let’s focus on the final day. England needed 350 runs and India 10 wickets. A draw was also a real possibility, with rain in the forecast. The ball was still relatively new, with India having bowled just six overs on the fourth evening after setting England a target of 371 runs (India were all out for 364 in their second innings).
Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett resumed England’s innings from an overnight score of 21/0. What followed was a match-winning partnership. By the time they were separated, the duo had put on 188 runs in just 42.2 overs, putting the hosts firmly on course for a famous victory. They scored at a brisk pace, and India’s bowlers simply couldn’t find the early breakthrough. The team’s overreliance on Jasprit Bumrah became evident. Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja, Prasidh Krishna, and Shardul Thakur lacked the discipline in line and length to force errors from the batters.
Runs kept flowing, with Duckett playing the aggressor to perfection while Crawley held firm in defense. India didn’t help their cause with dropped catches. Yashasvi Jaiswal, despite his century with the bat, couldn’t hold onto key chances in the field. As England piled on the runs, Indian shoulders visibly dropped. Despite England chasing a big target, they were rarely under sustained pressure. Jadeja did get some balls to turn and bounce, but he needed to be more accurate and consistent in exploiting the rough.
It was telling to see Duckett and later Ben Stokes reverse-sweeping with such confidence on a fifth-day pitch. Duckett repeatedly pierced the field with his reverse sweeps, while Stokes (33) seemed to mock the bowlers with the shot, until one too many brought about his dismissal by Jadeja. Still, India failed to show any tactical nous to restrict the scoring or build pressure. It felt like they were just waiting for a wicket to fall. Shoulders slumped, and the bowlers merely went through the motions.
Siraj, despite his experience, had a particularly poor Test. He lacked the discipline and patience needed to build pressure. Prasidh Krishna bowled well in patches, extracting bounce and some turn, and was eventually rewarded with the wickets of Crawley and Ollie Pope. But Duckett kept going, and Joe Root stitched another crucial partnership. When Shardul Thakur dismissed Duckett and Harry Brook in quick succession, India sensed an opening. But at 253/4, with Root and Stokes at the crease, it was too little, too late. England had enough overs left, and they eventually chased down the target (373) in just 82 overs, scoring at an impressive 4.54 runs per over.
For India to bounce back from this defeat, the bowlers must take greater responsibility. There has to be more thought and variation in the field placements and bowling strategies. Even when batters are well-set, chances must be created. And above all, India cannot afford to drop so many catches. This Indian team certainly has the talent to stage a strong comeback, but they need to learn fast.