Gambhir Stands by Lower Order After India's Batting Collapses, Cites Missed Catches as Key Factor in Test Loss

Gautam Gambhir, the head coach, has voiced his support for the Indian lower order batsmen despite their recent struggles in the first Test against England at Headingley. This comes after India suffered a disappointing defeat, failing to defend a target of 371 runs.

India's batting lineup experienced two significant collapses during the match, which ultimately contributed to their downfall.

• In the first innings, they lost 7 wickets for just 41 runs.
• A similar collapse occurred in the second innings, with the team losing 6 wickets for 31 runs.

These collapses undermined the strong foundation set by the top order, including Rishabh Pant's centuries in both innings.

India dropped crucial catches throughout the Test match on a surface that didn't offer a lot of help. © Getty

India dropped crucial catches throughout the Test match on a surface that didn't offer a lot of help.

Shubman Gill, who led the team as captain and scored a century in the first innings, revealed that the team had aimed for a target of around 435 runs. However, Gambhir believes that a first-innings total of 570 or 580 could have given India a significant advantage.

Despite the lower order's struggles, Gambhir defended their efforts. He acknowledged that Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna's dismissals were disappointing but emphasized that failure is a part of the game.

"Look, first of all, it's not that they weren't applying themselves. Sometimes people fail. And that's okay," Gambhir said. "I know it's disappointing...It's not like they're not working hard in the nets. These things happen. Even proper batters fail."

Gambhir also highlighted the team's poor catching performance as a major factor in the defeat. India dropped seven catches throughout the match, including a crucial one off Ben Duckett, who went on to score a match-defining 149. Gill admitted that the team needs to improve their catching standards.

Addressing the narrative of a 'young team', Gambhir dismissed it as an excuse for the loss. He asserted that the Indian team takes pride in winning every game and that age is not a factor.

"Every defeat is bad. It's not about a young team or an experienced team. It's an Indian team...A young team is not an excuse," Gambhir stated.

Gambhir confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah would only play two more Test matches in the series to manage his workload. The decision on which two matches Bumrah will play is yet to be made. He expressed confidence in the team's bowling attack, even without Bumrah, emphasizing that the squad is selected based on trust.