India's Batting Collapse: Coach Gambhir Defends Lower Order Despite Test Defeat Hoặc (alternative): Gambhir Stands By India's Tailenders After Headingley Test Collapse; Cites Dropped Catches as Key Factor

Gautam Gambhir, the head coach, has offered his support for the Indian lower order batsmen following their disappointing performance in the recent Test match at Headingley. Despite India's strong start, two batting collapses ultimately led to their defeat against England.

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

India's batting lineup amassed a total of 835 runs, featuring five centuries, including Rishabh Pant's impressive century in both innings. However, the team's efforts were undermined by two significant collapses:

• 7 wickets for 41 runs in the first innings
• 6 wickets for 31 runs in the second innings

These collapses transformed a potentially commanding position into a chaseable target for England, who eventually secured a comfortable 371-run victory.

Shubman Gill, who marked his captaincy debut with a century in the first innings, mentioned that the team had aimed for a target of approximately 435 runs. Gambhir, however, believed that India could have taken control of the game earlier, suggesting that a first-innings score of 570 or 580 would have put them in a dominant position.

Despite the lower order's struggles, Gambhir defended their efforts, stating, "Look, first of all, it's not that they weren't applying themselves. Sometimes people fail. And that's okay." He acknowledged the disappointment within the team, emphasizing that the players were more frustrated than anyone else due to the missed opportunity.

Gambhir added, "It's not like they're not working hard in the nets. These things happen. Even proper batters fail. Hopefully they'll learn, and hopefully we'll get better performances from our tail. And that is not the only reason we lost the Test match."

Another critical factor in India's defeat was their poor catching performance. The team dropped a total of seven catches throughout the match. Yashasvi Jaiswal was a major culprit, dropping three catches in the first innings and another crucial catch on the final day, allowing Ben Duckett, who was on 97 at the time, to score a match-defining 149.

Gill acknowledged the importance of improving their catching standards, particularly on challenging pitches like Headingley. He expressed optimism that the young team would learn from their mistakes and improve in future matches.

Despite the focus on the team's youth, Gambhir dismissed the idea of using it as an excuse for the loss. He emphasized the pride associated with representing India and the commitment to winning every game, regardless of the team's experience level.

Regarding team selection, Gambhir confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah would only participate in two more Test matches as part of a pre-arranged workload management plan. The decision on which two matches Bumrah would play in was yet to be finalized.

Gambhir expressed confidence in the team's bowling attack, even without Bumrah, stating, "We absolutely have the bowling attack [to compete]. We believe in them. We trust in them...those are inexperienced bowlers but they will keep getting better."