Leeds: Team India suffered a humiliating defeat in the first game of the five-match Test series at Leeds at Headingley. They failed to defend a considerably big target of 371 runs. The English team took just 82 overs to chase it down with five wickets in hand. That has given the hosts a 1-0 lead, with the second test scheduled to start on July 2 in Birmingham.
India scored 471 runs in the first innings, took the lead, and had five centuries in the game. Despite all these, they only ended up on the losing side. This was also the first time when a team lost a game after five centuries in the game. So, what went wrong?
India dominated most parts of the game, but they couldn't finish the game. There were some key moments where India missed the opportunity to tighten their screws. This blog will cover three major points where India lost the game and England embarrassed them in the first test at Headingley.
Three Key Reasons why India lost the first Test against England at Headingley
1. Lower Middle Order Collapse
India had a horrible batting collapse in either inning of the First Test. They were in a pretty good position in both innings. In the first innings, they were at 430/3 and were bowled out for 471 runs, losing the last seven wickets for just 41 runs in 11.2 overs.
At one point in the second innings, they were again in a good position at 333/4. But they had another collapse and were bowled out for 364 runs. The last six wickets only managed just 31 runs in 11.3 overs. That is where India certainly lost the momentum in both innings.
They were on course for a big total, but the late batting collapses hurt them big. On the other hand, if we look at England, they lost their fifth wicket at 349 in the first innings, and their last four batters added 116 runs.
2. No Support for Jasprit Bumrah
Without a doubt, Jasprit Bumrah was India's best bowler in the first test. He was the only bowler who took a fifer in the first game. He registered a figure of 5/83 in the first innings in 24.4 overs, while the other Indian bowling unit took five wickets for 382 runs.
Just like in Australia, the other Indian bowlers couldn't support Bumrah, and India lost it badly. It was the same story in the first test as well. Hence, India need to find out ways to get performances from other Indian bowlers than Jasprit Bumrah. Or else, India will be having another poor series this time around.
3. Dropped Catches
Catches win matches. It is not just a saying, but Indian fans certainly saw it in the first test at Headingley. India had a below-average time on the field. Especially in the slip catching. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored a brilliant ton in the first game, dropped four catches in the game.
There were some other mischances as well which could have been taken, and the result would have been different. In the first innings, India dropped Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, and Ollie Pope, and these three batters scored a total of 267 runs. In the second innings, one of Duckett's catches was dropped, and he finished at 149. Hence, this is something India certainly need to work on because in England, the ball flies to the slip cordon.