Image source – Republic World
England beat India comprehensively by five wickets at Headingley, Leeds, to lead the Test series 1-0. It was the second-highest fourth-innings chase by England in Test cricket. India became the first team in Test match history to lose even after five centuries were hit in the Test match by Indian batters.
Indian Bowling And Fielding Looked Average
On the fifth day, English batsmen played exceedingly good cricket, making Indian bowling look average. And to make things worse, Indian fielders dropped seven catches throughout the test. The bowling never looked sharp on the last day, as England’s first wicket 188-run partnership sealed the match in their favour.
Image source – Taaza TV
England Batted Like Winners
Ben Duckett’s 149 was the match-winning innings, and he was rightly selected as the player of the match for his performance. Zak Crawley scored 65, and Joe Root scored a useful 53, which took the man away from India. England never looked worried chasing 371, with all key batsmen contributing with a brisk strike rate.
Gill Loses First Test As Captain
Image source- The Hindu
Leading the Indian Test team for the first time, Gill got little support from his bowlers on the final day of the Test match while defending 371. He looked clueless after England got a great start and was very defensive in his approach after that. Other seniors on the team, like K.L. Rahul and vice-captain Rishab Pant, were seen advising him and the bowlers.
Former Indian spinner Murali Kartik questioned the on-field happenings and made a witty comment asking who the actual captain on the field is. The team scored 835 runs, and one of our bowlers took five wickets, but despite all this, India lost the match by five wickets. Murali felt that there were too many captains on the field, which led to India’s defeat.
Leeds crowd’s love for Jaiwal
The crowd at Leeds discover their new favourite in Jaiswal. He had a rough day in the field, where he dropped a few catches and had a few misfields. The crowd cheered him for absolutely everything: a misfield, a boundary saved, a run saved, and a throw to the keeper. He was roared for by the people for absolutely everything.
With the second test starting on 2nd July 2025, India has some time to recover and start afresh for the second test. Playing positively is the key to success in cricket, and we, as true Indian fans, will look for it in the second test.
