IND vs ENG: India’s Sloppy Fielding Cost Us The Game – Shubman Gill’s Honest Review After Headingley Defeat

Shubman Gill’s Test captaincy journey began with a fine hundred but ended in disappointment as India lost the opening Test against England at Headingley.

Despite Gill scoring a brilliant 147 in the first innings, India could not defend the target of 371, with England chasing it down comfortably by five wickets.

Gill Reflects On What Went Wrong

After the loss, Gill spoke honestly about what went wrong for his side. He pointed out that a few dropped catches and the lower-order collapse made the difference in the end.

“We had our chances. A few dropped catches, and the lower order couldn’t contribute much after my wicket. That hurt us in the final total,” Gill said after the match.

He also revealed that the team had planned to give England a target of around 400 or more, but the lower order only added around 20-25 runs, which made the total look a little short.

Young Team, Lessons To Learn

Gill didn’t shy away from accepting that the fielding was below standard. India dropped six catches, including three off Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling.

“On pitches like these, you don’t get many chances. We dropped quite a few, and that cost us. But we have a young team, and we are learning with every game. Hopefully, we’ll get better in the next few matches,” he said.

The Indian bowlers started well with the new ball, but once the shine wore off, it became tough to control runs or take regular wickets.

“In the first session, we bowled well. But once the ball got old, it became harder to stop runs. Some chances didn’t go to hand, and they also batted really well,” Gill added, giving credit to England’s approach.

When asked if Bumrah will be rested in the next Test, Gill gave a careful reply.

“There’s a decent gap before the second Test, so we’ll decide closer to the match. It will be a match-by-match call,” he said.