Shubman Gill’s maiden outing as India’s Test captain concluded in disappointment, as his team suffered a five-wicket loss to England in the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series at Headingley, Leeds, on Tuesday. The defeat saw England go 1-0 up in the five-match contest.
India’s woes were exacerbated by subpar fielding and a noticeable lack of support for the exceptional Jasprit Bumrah. The Indian bowlers conceded a staggering 44 boundaries and three sixes in the second innings alone, adding to the 54 boundaries and five sixes given away in the first innings.
A reflective Shubman Gill acknowledged the brilliance of the match but lamented the missed opportunities that ultimately cost his side. “I think it was a brilliant Test match. We had our chances, we dropped catches and our lower-order didn’t contribute enough, but proud of the team and overall a good effort,” he stated during the post-match presentation.
He further elaborated on the batting collapse and the team’s initial strategy: “Yesterday we were thinking we were going to get around 430 and declare. Unfortunately, our last 6 wickets scored only around 20-25 runs which is never a good sign. Even today after their brilliant opening partnership, I felt we still had our chance but just didn’t go our way in this match.” Despite a strong start from England’s openers in the chase, Gill believed India still had a fighting chance, but it wasn’t to be.
Keep fingers crossed for the next one.
