The first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series between England and India at Headingley has concluded with a stunning five-wicket victory for the home side, leaving newly appointed Indian captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir with a harsh reality check. Despite India posting a mammoth 835 runs across their two innings and having five centurions in the match, they fell short, becoming the first team in the 148-year history of Test cricket to achieve this feat and still lose.
England's successful chase of 371 marked the second-highest run chase on English soil in Test cricket. Ben Duckett's blistering 149 set the tone for England, while Joe Root (53) and debutant Jamie Smith (44) calmly completed the chase with an unbeaten 71-run partnership. Smith sealed the victory with a six, as England reached 373/5 in just 82 overs.
India's batting performance was indeed historic. Rishabh Pant became only the second wicketkeeper in Test history to score centuries in both innings of a Test, achieving several milestones along the way, including becoming the leading Asian wicketkeeper in SENA countries and the Indian wicketkeeper with the most Test centuries. Shubman Gill also marked his debut as Test captain with a century, joining legends Sunil Gavaskar and Virat Kohli. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul contributed with centuries as well.
However, despite the individual brilliance, India's batting suffered critical collapses in both innings. A collapse of 7 for 41 in the first innings and 6 for 31 in the second innings proved detrimental, allowing England to stay in the game. Gautam Gambhir acknowledged this, stating that they could have dominated had they scored over 600 in the first innings.
Adding to India's woes were dropped catches. India dropped six catches, the most by the team in the last five years. Gautam Gambhir defended his players, emphasizing that "best fielders in the world have dropped catches" and that "none of them did it on purpose." However, former England captain Michael Vaughan pointed out the cost of these missed opportunities, noting that Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett and Harry Brook all benefited from dropped catches and went on to score significant runs.
Gautam Gambhir chose to focus on the positives, backing his bowlers and emphasizing the need to build a fast-bowling battery. He acknowledged the inexperience of the bowling unit, with the exception of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, and stressed the importance of supporting them.
Shubman Gill's captaincy debut was a mixed bag. While he led from the front with a century, his on-field decisions and strategies came under scrutiny, particularly regarding the use of Shardul Thakur. Despite the loss, Sourav Ganguly lauded Shubman Gill's recent performances, highlighting the young batter's significant improvement. Comparisons were also drawn between Gill's captaincy antics and Virat Kohli's intensity on the field.
The defeat serves as a reality check for Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir. The team needs to address the batting collapses, improve their fielding standards, and provide consistent support to their bowlers. The series is far from over, and India has the opportunity to bounce back in the remaining matches. The second Test begins on July 2nd in Birmingham, where India will aim to level the series and demonstrate their resilience.
