Transition no excuse, India needs to take World Test Championship seriously

"We lose together, we win together."

These were the words of a defiant and brave Gautam Gambhir after India's loss to England in the first Test at Headingley. The Indian coach defended the bowlers after their sub-par performance, came in to support the lower-order that failed to build on the platform set by the top five, and highlighted the fact that the team managed to post big scores in both innings. While it is just one game that has come to an end, there are certainly a few alarming signs about the team that need to be sorted out.

advertisement

Yes, this is a team in transition. They have just lost three of their mainstays in Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and R. Ashwin, who decided to retire over the past few months from Test cricket. However, the transition phase cannot be used as an excuse to cover up this loss at Headingley. India have now lost seven out of their last nine Tests. That's simply a wretched run of form.

It was a match that India dominated for a large portion. The session winners' graphics that flashed across our television screens over the course of four days consistently showed India with a clear lead over the hosts. But when it came to the key moments, India lost the plot.

Shubman Gill, in his post-match interviews, said that they were a young team and learning the trade on the field. But are they really that young?

advertisement

Well, in terms of age and experience, India actually held the edge over the England side they faced in Leeds. The Indian team featured players with a wealth of international exposure and extensive experience in the IPL. Yet, when it mattered most, they faltered.

While it's easy to dismiss the result and attribute it to a team in transition, the reasons for this defeat boil down to basic cricketing fundamentals. And this setback has already dealt a blow to their World Test Championship campaign and hopes of making it to the final.

'Cannot drop catches at the highest level'

Catches win you matches. A simple phrase that is always used in cricket-and it holds a lot of value. At Headingley, it wasn't like England didn't make mistakes. They did, by letting KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant off the hook in the second innings, but the ones India made proved costly.

India dropped Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Harry Brook in the first innings, and all three went on to make significant scores that allowed England to cut the lead to just six. It should have been somewhere well above a hundred to give India a proper chance against England.

In the second innings, Duckett was on 98 and was dropped by Jaiswal, who would want to forget Headingley altogether despite his brilliant hundred. The England opener went on to score 149, and it proved to be the difference.

advertisement

A total of seven or eight dropped catches doesn't paint a good picture, and now India need to be smarter. Sunil Gavaskar said take a few days off and then get back into practice.

"Next couple of days you can take off, but now seriously get into practice. Leave this optional practice aside. You have come here to play for India. So, you practice in a way so that you will give yourself the best," Gavaskar said.

Where is the in-match thinking?

What makes Jasprit Bumrah one of the best in the world? Apart from his impressive arsenal of deliveries, Bumrah is like a chess player, who works out each move and is quick to make changes according to the situation.

Could the same be said about others? Well, no.

A team that had a pace attack of Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna-two men who earned plaudits for their work in the IPL-looked toothless at Headingley. Yes, it may be a different format, but as a bowler, you need to think on your toes when something isn't working.

advertisement

Prasidh kept banking on his short-pitched deliveries that the England batters put away with ease. Apart from the two wickets of Jamie Smith and Harry Brook in the first innings, none of the other short balls worked, and the Karnataka pacer conceded a run rate of over six in both innings.

While it was somewhat acceptable in the first innings, Prasidh should have been smarter and looked at how Bumrah was operating-and copied the lines he was pulling out to trouble the hosts. This could have given the control that was needed and, probably, made things interesting.

The blame cannot be placed solely on Prasidh here. An experienced campaigner like Ravindra Jadeja was criticised for being tactically inept and not using the rough properly.

The Indian bowlers need to work on many aspects to get polished, but the biggest one is adapting to situations during the match.

While the World Test Championship final and the climax of this journey may still be far away, these red flags have always affected Indian cricket—and it seems like they continue to do so. A transitional side needs time, and Gill and Co. will be provided that. But these are players who have been engaged at the highest level of cricket. While everyone proclaims their love for Tests and says it is bigger than anything, it is time for this squad to stick to their word and prove it.

Else, missing out on another WTC final could turn out to be a reality for the Indian team.

- Ends

Published By: alan john Published On: Jun 26, 2025

Tune In

Click here to read article