India skipper Shubman Gill conceded his team allowed crucial moments to slip as England staged a classic five-wicket victory on the last day of the opening Test at Headingley, claiming a 1-0 advantage in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series.
England chased down an intimidating 371 with a brilliant batting display, spearheaded by a majestic opening stand and assured tail-end touches from veteran batter Joe Root and newcomer Jamie Smith.
"It was a fantastic Test match," Gill said after the loss. "We had our opportunities—there were a couple of dropped catches—and unfortunately, our lower order did not contribute as we would have liked."
India's second innings collapse proved extremely expensive. Having been 333/4, they were bowled out for a mere 364. Gill made it clear that the team had originally thought of setting a score in the region of 400–430 and declaring but could not capitalize on their position.
"Yesterday, we were planning to give them a 400-430 chase and make the declaration. But the lower order could muster only 20-25 runs, which was not great," he said. "Even today, despite their great start, we had some moments for ourselves, but it just did not work for us."
England's run-chase was led by Ben Duckett's stunning 149, one of a 188-run partnership with Zak Crawley. Despite Shardul Thakur dismissing Duckett and Harry Brook in successive deliveries—his two wickets in a row—Root and Smith's 71-run, unbeaten stand took the hosts home.
India's poor fielding cost them dear, and Gill did not hesitate to admit it. "You don't get many opportunities on surfaces like these, and we allowed a few to slip away. We're a young team, still learning, and I'm hoping we'll improve in the next games."
Looking back at his captaincy and strategic choices, Gill cited the difficulty posed after the ball lost its sheen. "We were very disciplined in the first session. But when the ball gets tired, it gets difficult to contain the run flow. Then you actually need to get wickets to remain in the game. Sadly, some chances didn't come our way, and credit to their openers—they took the momentum early."
He reserved particular praise for Ravindra Jadeja, who toiled for long spells on the last day. "Jaddu was brilliant. He bowled continuously and gave us a few half-chances. In cricket, sometimes these things go your way, sometimes they don't."
On Jasprit Bumrah, who went wicketless in the second innings, Gill said the management would monitor his fitness before the next match. “We’ll assess him closer to the next game. There’s a good break, so it’ll be a game-by-game call.”
India had dominated early in the Test, registering a huge 471 in their first innings, courtesy of centuries by Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Gill himself. But the lower-order lapses, along with fielding blunders and the failure to capitalise on their lead in the second innings, provided the opening for England's courageous comeback.
The second Test should see some changes as India seeks to bounce back and square the series.
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