India's Fielding Woes Blasted by Former Selector After Test Loss to England: 'Simple Catches Cost Us'

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

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

Yashasvi Jaiswal of India (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

"We played very well for four days," More stated. "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, securing a 1-0 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Ben Duckett led the charge with a score of 149, while Joe Root remained unbeaten on 53, and Jamie Smith contributed 44 not out. This victory represents England's second-highest successful chase in Test history and their highest ever against India.

More also addressed India's batting performance: "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 featured centuries from Shubman Gill (147), Rishabh Pant (134), and Yashasvi Jaiswal (101), reaching a total of 471. However, a subsequent collapse saw them lose seven wickets for a mere 41 runs. England responded with 465, including significant contributions from Duckett (62), Ollie Pope (106), and Brook (99), with their final five wickets adding 189 runs.

In the second innings, India appeared to be in a strong position at 333/4, fueled by a 195-run partnership between Pant (118) and K.L. Rahul (137). However, they then lost six wickets for only 31 runs, eventually being dismissed for 364 and setting England a target of 371.

"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."

Jasprit Bumrah went wicketless in the second innings despite his best efforts. Prasidh Krishna's performance proved expensive, and the dropped catches, particularly those of Harry Brook, ultimately proved costly for India.

More concluded, "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 exceeding 350 has been achieved at the venue. This match also became only the third in Test history where all four innings surpassed 350 runs.