India's Fielding Woes Blamed for Test Defeat as Former Selector Urges Patience

Kiran More Criticizes India's Fielding After First Test Loss to England

Former Indian selector Kiran More has called for patience with the Indian Test team following their recent five-wicket defeat to England in the first Test at Headingley. He identified poor fielding as a critical factor in the loss.

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 runs on the final day, taking a 1-0 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Ben Duckett led the charge with a brilliant 149, supported by Joe Root, who remained unbeaten on 53, and Jamie Smith, who contributed 44 not out. This victory represents England's second-highest successful chase in Test history and their highest ever against India.

More emphasized the importance of building on the positives from the first two days of the match. "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 total of 471 was highlighted by centuries from Shubman Gill (147), Rishabh Pant (134), and Yashasvi Jaiswal (101). However, a sudden collapse saw them lose seven wickets for just 41 runs. England responded strongly with 465, with significant contributions from Duckett (62), Ollie Pope (106), and Brook (99), their last five wickets adding a crucial 189 runs.

In their second innings, India appeared to be in a commanding position at 333/4, thanks to a 195-run partnership between Pant (118) and K.L. Rahul (137). However, they then suffered another collapse, losing their remaining six wickets for a mere 31 runs, ultimately being dismissed for 364 and setting England a target of 371.

More stressed the need for patience and support for the team during this transitional phase. "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, despite his best efforts, went wicketless in the second innings. Prasidh Krishna proved to be expensive, and several dropped catches, particularly of Harry Brook, proved to be extremely 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 marked the third time a target over 350 has been achieved at this venue. This match also became only the third in Test history where all four innings exceeded 350 runs, demonstrating the high-scoring nature of the contest.