Gavaskar’s Outspoken Criticism of India’s Fielding
Sunil Gavaskar, the legendary Indian cricketer, did not mince words as he slammed Team India for their “very, very disappointing” fielding performance against England in the first Test in Leeds on Saturday. What was initially poised to be a day of complete dominance for India ultimately raised significant questions, leaving the cricketing icon dismayed by the team’s lapses, particularly highlighting Yashasvi Jaiswal’s role in the missed opportunities.
After magnificent centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal himself, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant had seemingly put India in an unassailable position, eyeing a total well over 500, a spectacular batting collapse saw India lose their last seven wickets for a mere 41 runs, being bowled out for 471. However, the woes didn’t end there. England, in reply, reached 209/3 at Stumps, a score that could have been significantly lower had the Indian fielders held onto some relatively easy catches.
The Costly Fielding Blunders
The sequence of dropped catches began early in England’s innings. First, Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped Ben Duckett in the fifth over, a crucial lifeline granted to the English opener. The same batter was dropped again in the seventh over, this time by Ravindra Jadeja at backward point, a rare misjudgment from one of India’s most reliable fielders. The frustration for India, and particularly for Jasprit Bumrah, mounted as Ollie Pope, who went on to smash a vital century, was dropped by Yashasvi Jaiswal at third slip off Bumrah’s bowling. These missed chances proved to be extremely costly, allowing England to build momentum and chip away at India’s first-innings advantage. Reports indicate that India dropped a total of six catches in the innings, with Jaiswal responsible for three of them, all off Bumrah’s bowling.
Sunil Gavaskar’s reaction during commentary reflected the collective disappointment. “I don’t think there will be any medal given. T Dillip gives those after a match. This is what was really very, very disappointing. Yashasvi Jaiswal is a very good fielder but he hasn’t been able to hold on to anything this time,” the former India captain remarked pointedly at the close of play, directly addressing the fielding coach’s customary ‘fielding medal’ tradition. Gavaskar’s comments underscored the uncharacteristic sloppiness from a side usually known for its agility and sharp fielding. Sunil Gavaskar
Match Dynamics: India’s Collapse and England’s Recovery
Earlier in the day, India had started strongly, primed to post a monumental total. Shubman Gill notched up a career-best 147, showcasing sublime form, while Rishabh Pant displayed his aggressive brilliance with an astonishing 134, his seventh Test century. But after Gill’s dismissal, the Indian innings unravelled dramatically. From a commanding position of 430/3, India crumbled to 471 all out in 113 overs, losing seven wickets for just 41 runs. This sudden collapse allowed England back into the contest and squandered much of the advantage built by the centurions. Sunil Gavaskar
A rain delay meant England’s innings had a delayed start, and they initially faced a menacing Jasprit Bumrah, who continued his impressive form. However, Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett formed a resilient 122-run partnership for the second wicket, bringing a semblance of normalcy to England’s reply. While Duckett eventually fell for 62, chopping onto his stumps off Bumrah, Pope went on to score his ninth Test ton, a crucial innings laced with 13 fours, further capitalizing on the dropped chances. Sunil Gavaskar
Pope reached his half-century in 64 balls with a late cut, and despite getting a life on 60 (dropped by Jaiswal off Bumrah), he continued to grow in confidence. Mohammed Siraj bowled with better lengths, trapping Joe Root lbw for seven, though Root successfully overturned the decision on review. Pope continued to accumulate runs, taking boundaries off Jadeja, Prasidh, and Shardul Thakur, before bringing up his hundred off 125 balls with an inside edge off Bumrah. Sunil Gavaskar
Missed Opportunities and the Road Ahead
Just after Pope’s century, Root poked at an outside off-stump delivery from Bumrah, and a thick outside edge was snapped up by Nair at first slip, marking the tenth time Bumrah had dismissed the premier England batter in Tests. Before lunch, Bumrah had also induced a top edge from Harry Brook on a pull shot, but was denied the scalp as replays showed he had overstepped for the third time in the over, another moment of frustration for the ace pacer and the Indian team. Sunil Gavaskar
These moments of reprieve, coupled with the sloppy fielding, gave England a huge sigh of relief. Local lad Brook and Pope walked off after an enthralling day, having clawed back some of the momentum that England had squandered on Day 1. For India, the message is clear: they need to fire back strongly on Day 3, with a much-improved bowling and fielding performance, to regain control of a match that, despite their first-innings lead, feels very much in the balance. Sunil Gavaskar’s pointed critique serves as a stark reminder of the standards expected at this level of Test cricket.
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