Follow UsAfter India’s humiliating defeat against England in the first Test at Headingley, former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has urged current coach Gautam Gambhir to go “really hard” at players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, and others.
It was the first time in ages that India’s top five batters delivered overseas, scoring five centuries between them. However, the team was let down by the lower-order, bowlers, and poor fielding. India allowed England to chase down 371 with ease in the final innings on Day 5.
Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur leaked runs at close to six per over, while Ravindra Jadeja managed just one wicket across both innings. Mohammed Siraj lacked consistency, and even Jasprit Bumrah failed to make an impact in the fourth innings.
More than the bowling, it was India’s fielding and catching that cost them the game. Several catches were dropped - including four by Jaiswal - and India suffered big collapses of 7/41 and 6/31 with the bat, preventing them from putting England under pressure.
“There’s a big role for the coaching staff. Take the positives out of this contest. As captain, Shubman Gill has done more than what was asked of him. He scored a hundred, and there were five centuries in the match,” Shastri told Sky Sports Cricket, as reported by Hindustan Times.
“Dropping catches is not in his control — that’s where the team as a unit must work harder. Similarly, when you come to bat, you must put a price on your wicket. You can’t throw away an opportunity to score 550 or 600 by being timid.
“These are areas where you have to be hard as a coach, really hard in the dressing room. Some players need a reality check. But there were also many positives to take away.”
The second Test of the five-match series will be played at Edgbaston, Birmingham, starting July 2.