Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri didn’t hold back in his assessment of India’s fielding during the first Test of the five-match series against England at Headingley. Shastri pointed out that missed opportunities in the field allowed England to close the gap and bring the match to an even position.
India's sloppy fielding proved costly in the first Test in Leeds. The Indian team, led by Shubman Gill, dropped several crucial catches over Days 2 and 3. Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Harry Brook were all handed lifelines due to fielding lapses. England posted a total of 465, narrowing the deficit to just six runs.
Team India players dropped six catches across Days 2 and 3. It was one of their worst single-innings fielding displays in the last five years. It began on Day 2 when Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ravindra Jadeja missed crucial chances to dismiss Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope.
The trend continued into Day 3, with Rishabh Pant and Jaiswal again failing to grab opportunities. While India’s overall fielding standards have improved significantly in recent years, especially since Virat Kohli's captaincy, this outing was a reminder of past struggles for the team.
Jaiswal was notably involved in multiple missed chances. India managed to take a six-run first-innings lead and ended Day 3 in a solid position at 90/2, with KL Rahul and Shubman Gill steady at the crease.
They Should Have Had a Lead of 150-Plus - Ravi Shastri
Speaking to Sky Sports, Ravi Shastri expressed disappointment over India’s sloppy fielding. He believes that missed opportunities in the field allowed the hosts to add more runs. Ravi Shastri said that the pitch remains good for batting, giving England a chance in the fourth innings.
"I think India will be disappointed, too. England have pulled things back and this game is now on an even keel. This pitch is still good so England will fancy their chances of chasing and India know they have got to bat the day tomorrow."
"They have got to get past 300 and put England under pressure. Had they held their catches, they should have had a lead of 150-plus. There is a lot of time left in this Test match and the game is even," said Ravi Shastri.
India Will Be a Little Disappointed - Nasser Hussain
Nasser Hussain, who was also part of the discussion, stated that 'India will be a little disappointed' after their performance on Day 3. Hussain said that England's total should have been much lower.
"I think India will be a little disappointed. They had a collapse of 7-41 in their innings and the England score should then have been a lot less."
"That last little session tonight was vital for them in that they didn't let England back into the game even more," said Hussain.
Also read: Watch: Rishabh Pant risks ban by disrespecting umpire with angry ball flick, booed by Leeds crowd
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