India's Batting Collapses Not Solely to Blame for Test Loss: Coach Gambhir Defends Lower Order

Gautam Gambhir, the head coach, has voiced his support for the Indian lower order batsmen despite their recent struggles in the first Test against England. This backing comes after India suffered a disappointing defeat at Headingley, losing by 371 runs after leading the game for a significant period.

India's batting performance was a mixed bag, with the team amassing 835 runs and five batsmen scoring centuries, including Rishabh Pant who scored a century in each innings. However, two critical batting collapses proved to be their undoing.

India lost 7 wickets for just 41 runs in their first innings and followed it up with 6 wickets for 31 runs in the second innings. These collapses undermined what could have been a dominant position for India after winning the toss. The first collapse prevented them from building a truly imposing lead, while the second left them with a target of 371 to defend – a chase that England completed with relative ease.

Missed catches hurt India in the Test match. © Getty

Shubman Gill, who marked his captaincy debut with a century in the first innings, revealed that the team had aimed for a target of around 435. Gambhir, however, believed that a first-innings score of 570 or 580 would have allowed India to dominate the match.

Despite the lower order's failures, Gambhir defended their efforts, stating, "Look, first of all, it's not that they weren't applying themselves. Sometimes people fail. And that's okay." He acknowledged the disappointment within the team, emphasizing that the players were working hard. "Even proper batters fail," Gambhir added, expressing hope for improved performances from the tailenders in the future. He also clarified that the lower order collapse was not the sole reason for the Test defeat.

Another significant factor in India's loss was their poor catching performance. They dropped seven catches throughout the game. Yashasvi Jaiswal was particularly culpable, dropping three catches in the first innings and another crucial one on the final day, which allowed Ben Duckett, then on 97, to score a match-defining 149. Gill admitted that the team needed to improve their catching standards, especially on challenging wickets.

While acknowledging that the team is young and still learning, Gambhir dismissed the "young team" narrative as an excuse for the defeat. He emphasized that the Indian team takes pride in winning every game for their country, regardless of the players' experience levels. "Every defeat is bad. It's not about a young team or an experienced team. It's an Indian team," he asserted.

Gambhir also confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah would only play two more Test matches in the series, adhering to a pre-series plan to manage his workload. The decision on which two matches Bumrah would participate in was yet to be determined. He expressed confidence in the team's bowling attack, even without Bumrah, stating that the squad was selected based on trust and belief in their abilities.