Kiran More Blasts India's Fielding After Test Loss to England; Former Selector Cites Dropped Catches as Key Factor

Kiran More Criticizes India's Fielding After First Test Defeat Against England

Former Indian selector Kiran More has called for patience with the Indian Test team after their five-wicket loss to England in the first Test at Headingley. More pinpointed fielding errors as a critical factor in the defeat.

"We played very well for four days," More told IANS. "I think the mistake came on the last day when England played outstanding cricket. Fielding was where we slipped. Those were simple catches — no one drops those — and that made the difference."

England successfully chased down a target of 371 runs on the final day, taking a 1-0 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Ben Duckett led the charge with 149, supported by Joe Root's unbeaten 53 and Jamie Smith's 44 not out. This victory stands as England's second-highest successful chase ever and their highest against India.

More emphasized the importance of building a substantial first-innings lead. "In the first two days, we were really good, and I felt we could've added another 100–150 runs to our total. If we had scored 450 in the first innings, things might've been different. In the second innings, Rishabh and KL Rahul did well. But again, we collapsed at key moments."

India's first innings saw centuries from Shubman Gill (147), Rishabh Pant (134), and Yashasvi Jaiswal (101), reaching a total of 471. However, they then suffered a collapse, losing seven wickets for only 41 runs. England responded strongly with 465, aided by contributions from Duckett (62), Ollie Pope (106), and Brook (99), with their last five wickets contributing 189 runs.

In the second innings, India seemed well-positioned at 333/4, fueled by a 195-run partnership between Pant (118) and K.L. Rahul (137). However, the team then lost six wickets for just 31 runs, ultimately being dismissed for 364 and setting England a target of 371.

More stressed the need for patience and support for the transitioning team. "We've got a good, balanced team, but this team is still in transition. I think we need to give them time — a year or so — to settle, find the right combination, and grow into a strong unit. We've scored over 750 runs across both innings, so the batting is there. But we can't keep depending on Bumrah. He needs support — especially from the spinners."

Despite his efforts, Jasprit Bumrah went wicketless in the second innings. Prasidh Krishna proved expensive, and several dropped catches, particularly of Harry Brook, proved detrimental for India.

More concluded by emphasizing the importance of giving new players time to develop. "We've seen it before — from Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sachin, to Kohli and Rohit. Now it's time for new faces to step up. They need time and support. If we keep playing like this and keep making the same mistakes, we won't improve. But give this group time, and we'll have a good team."

The successful chase at Headingley marked the third time a target over 350 has been achieved at the venue. This match also became only the third in Test history where all four innings exceeded 350 runs.